Carly Klass led the Gustavus offense on Saturday by going a combined 3-for-7 with two home runs, a triple three runs, and three RBI.
Rochester, Minn. – In the team’s first competition on Minnesota soil, the Gustavus Adolphus softball team went 2-2 against regional opponents over the weekend at the Rochester Community and Technical College Dome. On Saturday, Feb. 28, Gustavus defeated UW-La Crosse 4-3 and then suffered a 5-2 loss to Coe College. On Sunday, March 1, the Gusties fell to UW-River Falls 10-3 and then defeated UW-Stevens Point 7-2. Gustavus comes out of the weekend with an overall record of 6-4.
The Gustavus softball team will be back on the diamond next weekend when it travels back to Rochester for a pair of games on Saturday, March 7. The Gusties will face UW-River Falls at 10:00 a.m. and Luther College at 3:00 p.m.
Gustavus vs. UW-La Crosse Recap
The Gusties jumped out to a 3-0 lead in their opening game of the weekend with two runs in the top of the second inning and another in the third. Following a single by Kailey Morgan (Sr., Mound, Minn.), Sarah Rozell (Sr., Lakeville, Minn.) hit a two-run blast to put Gustavus on top 2-0. Carly Klass (Sr., Richfield, Minn.) ripped a homer of her own an inning later to give the Black and Gold a three-run advantage.
Another solo shot in the top of the fifth inning by Klass turned out to be the game-winning run because UW-La Crosse came storming back with three runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Rozell was able to shut the rally down and get the final out of the game, allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits in two innings. Jena Willis (So., Glacier, Mont.) earned the victory after blanking the Pointers through five complete. She allowed six hits and struck out one.
Gustavus vs. Coe Recap
Against Coe in its nightcap on Saturday, Gustavus jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first inning. Nathalee Boissiere (Jr., Plymouth, Minn.) singled to drive in Klass, and Kaitlyn Bicek (Jr., Northfield, Minn.) singled to bring in Boissiere.
The Gusties were blanked from the first inning on, as Coe scored five unanswered runs over the final four frames of the game.
Willis suffered the loss after giving up four runs on six hits through three innings. Rozell started the game and gave up one run on four hits in four innings of work.
Jessica Williams capped the weekend with a two-run, four-hit complete-game win against UW-Stevens Point on Saturday.
Gustavus vs. UW-River Falls Recap
In Gustauvs’s opening contest on Sunday, UW-River Falls scored two runs in the bottom of the third inning to go up 2-0. The Gusties answered with two of their own in the top of the fourth when Bicek homered to bring in Rachel Strandmark (Fy., New Ulm, Minn.), who was pinch running for Boissiere after she drew a walk.
After Gustavus took a 3-2 lead on a Morgan double that plated Breanne Rentschler (Sr., Lakefield, Minn.) in the fifth, the Falcons answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and five more in the bottom of the sixth to bring the score to a final at 10-3.
Rozell took the five inning loss after giving up five runs on seven hits. Willis allowed UW-River Fall’s other five runs on three hits in the sixth.
Gustavus vs. UW-Stevens Point
In their final game of the weekend, the Gusties got a lead early and held on to it. With a 2-0 edge after three complete innings, Gustavus exploded for five runs on five hits in the bottom of the fourth to take a 7-0 advantage. Morgan kicked off the frame with a solo home run, and Rozell followed with a triple. Addy Nelsen (Jr., Willmar, Minn.) drove in Rozell for the second run of the inning, and Shelby Nosan (Sr., Baudette, Minn.) brought the scoring to a close with a three-run home run.
UW-Stevens Point added two runs in the top of the seventh to bring the game to a final.
Jessica Williams (Jr., Plymouth, Minn.) went the distance and picked up the win, allowing just two runs on four hits with three strikeouts.