St. Paul – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has announced its 2013 Softball Post-Season Awards following a spring season that featured cancellations, postponements, and inclement weather to an extent never seen before.  Taking home All-Conference honors for the Gustavus softball team was junior Brittany Brenke (Le Sueur, Minn.), sophomores Carly Klass (Richfield, Minn.) and Sarah Rozell (Lakeville, Minn.).

As an example of the parity in the conference this season, each school had at least one All-MIAC First Team selection, led by the Tommies and Royals with four selections each. Gustavus and Hamline each had three players honored. Saint Mary’s, Saint Benedict and St. Olaf each had two selections, and one player apiece from St. Catherine, Carleton, Macalester, Augsburg and Concordia were honored. The team was also extremely balanced from an age standpoint with seven seniors, seven juniors, seven sophomores and four first-year players selected.

Carly Klass

Brittany Brenke

Head Coach Jeff Annis’s lead-off hitter this season, Brittany Brenke earns All-Conference honors for the first time after receiving honorable mention marks last season.  In Gustavus’s 15 games against league opponents, Brenke hit a team best .463 after going 19-for-41.  She posted two doubles, three RBI, and nine runs along with an on-base percentage of .511.  At one point this season, Brenke recorded an eight-game hitting-streak and was held hitless in only two conference games.  The local Le Sueur product hit .368 overall and had a team-best 32 hits, 16 runs scored, and 11 sacrifice bunts.

In her second full time season at third base, Carly Klass garners All-MIAC recognition for the first time in her career as well.  Klass hit .375, going 15-for-40 within conference play.  She registered two doubles, seven RBI, and seven runs.  Overall, Klass turned in eight multiple-hit games and batted .337 (28-83).  She finished second on the team in runs batted in with 15.  In the field, the Richfield native had the second-most assists on the team with 66 and finished the year with a .904 fielding percentage.

An All-Conference recipient as a rookie, Sarah Rozell earns a spot on the All-Conference Team for the second time in her young career.  Rozell made her mark on the rubber this season, leading Gustavus’s pitching staff with an overall record of 8-8 and an ERA of 3.01 after logging a team-high 102.1 innings.  Against league foes, the sophomore went 4-3 and had the fifth-best ERA in the MIAC at 2.28.  She finished the conference season with 34 strikeouts compared to just three walks to go along with an opponent batting average of .279.  In her 18 total appearances, Rozell struck out 72 batters and walked 17 for a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 4.24.

Sarah Rozell

Kate Rentschler

A two-time All-Conference performer, Kate Rentschler (Sr., Lakefield, Minn.) earns a spot on the All-Conference Honorable Mention Team.  Within conference play, Rentschler hit .359 (14-39) and finished with an ERA of 3.36 after throwing a team-high 50 innings.  Rentschler was most recently honored as a CoSIDA Academic All-District recipient and a member of the 2013 MIAC Softball All-Tournament Team.  She went 9-for-16 over the weekend and posted three walks, two doubles, four RBI and three runs.

The Gustavus softball team finished the year 15-19 overall and 9-9 in the MIAC.  The Gusties were placed in Pool D along with Saint Mary’s and Carleton after finishing fifth in the league.  Gustavus defeated Carleton 7-6 and Saint Mary’s 8-4 to win Pool D and advance to the four team double elimination tournament.  On Saturday, Gustavus fell 8-0 to St. Thomas then bounced back with an 11-2 win over St. Olaf.  The Gusties were eliminated from the post-season by Bethel on Sunday morning by the score of 5-2.

As part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative, the MIAC announced the seventh annual All-MIAC Sportsmanship team for softball. Members of the All-MIAC Sportsmanship team are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition.  Gustavus’s representative on this season’s All-Sportsmanship Team is junior Bethany Flohrs (Ormsby, Minn.).

MIAC Release

Kate Rentschler named to the 2013 MIAC Playoff All-Tournament Team.

Kate Rentschler named to the 2013 MIAC Playoff All-Tournament Team.

St. Paul - The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced the All-Tournament Team for the 2013 MIAC Softball Playoffs on Monday, May 6.  Among the list of First and Second Team recipients was Gustavus senior Kate Rentschler (Lakefield, Minn.) who led the Gustie offense throughout the weekend.

With the tournament format amended to include all 12 teams, the All-Tournament Team was also expanded to include the usual 12-player First Team (including ties), and an eight-player Second Team.  The All-Tournament Team was also expanded to include an eight-player Second Team as well, with one selection from each team that did not advance beyond Friday’s round-robin pool play.

The Gustavus softball team went a combined 3-2 in the MIAC Playoffs which were held over a span of three days over the weekend.  The Gusties defeated Saint Mary’s 8-4 and Carleton 7-6 on Friday to win Pool D and advance to the four team double elimination tournament slated for Saturday and Sunday.  Gustavus fell 8-0 to St. Thomas then bounced back with an 11-2 win over St. Olaf on Saturday.  Coach Jeff Annis’s club was eliminated from the post-season by Bethel on Sunday morning by the score of 5-2.

Hitting .318 entering pool play on Friday, Kate Rentschler was certainly one of the key reasons Gustavus earned the right to play on Saturday.  Rentschler went 3-for-3 with a walk, two doubles and two runs against Carleton in a come-from-behind one-run victory.  She followed her breakout game against the Knights by going 3-for-4 with a run batted in against Saint Mary’s.

In the four-team bracket on Saturday, Rentschler recorded her third multiple-hit game of the tournament by going 2-for-3 with a walk, three RBI, and a run against St. Olaf.  The senior finished the weekend 9-for-16 with three walks, two doubles, four RBI and three runs.  She raised her averaged to .366 to conclude her Gustavus career.

The All-Tournament First Team was voted on by the four coaches whose teams advanced to Saturday’s double-elimination bracket. The All-Tournament Second Team consisted of one selection from each team that participated in Friday’s pool play, but did not advance.

MIAC Release

Kate Rentschler has earned a place on the 2013 CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.

Kate Rentschler has earned a place on the 2013 CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.

St. Peter, Minn. – The 2013 Capital One Academic All-District Softball Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, have been released to recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.  Among the list of individuals receiving Academic All-District honors was senior Kate Rentschler (Lakefield, Minn.) who earns a spot on the District Six First Team as a designated player.

The Academic All-District teams include the student-athletes listed on the following pages and are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada.  This is the second year of the expanded Academic All-America program as CoSIDA moved from recognizing a University Division  (Division I) and a College Division  (all non Division I) and has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored. The expanded teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.

Rentschler finished third on the team in hitting this season with a batting average of .366.

Kate Rentschler capped her Gustavus career with the best hitting season of her tenure wearing black and gold.  Rentschler went 30-for-82 for a batting average of .366 this season.  She led the team in slugging percentage (.512), runs batted in (17), and doubles (6).  Rentschler posted nine multiple-hit games and went 9-for-16 with three runs and four RBI in the MIAC Playoffs.

On the rubber, Rentschler went 5-9 with an ERA of 4.61 this season.  She struck out 39 hitters in 79 innings and finished the year with an opponent batting average of .295.

Over the Lakefield, Minn. native’s four-year career, the Gusties have finished second in the conference three times and posted an overall record of 106-55-1 and an MIAC mark of 67-18-1.

Rentschler has played in 112 career games, going 81-for-240 for a lifetime batting average of .338 with 19 doubles, 13 home runs, and 64 runs batted in to her credit.  She has thrown 356.1 innings for Head Coach Jeff Annis, recording a career record of 39-21 and an ERA of 3.04.  An NFCA All-Scholar Athlete, Rentschler is a two-time captain who has earned Academic All-Conference honors three times.  Last season she earned a place on the All-Conference and NFCA All-Region Teams for the first time in her career.

Kate is one of eight total players from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to earn a place on the District Six Academic All-District Team.  She joins Kendra Bowe, Emily Gregory, and Kimmy Hassel of St. Thomas, Jenna Brady of St. Catherine, Kaia Sele of Concordia, and Bri Dorale of Augsburg.

A pre-med student majoring in biology, Rentschler carries a cumulative grade point average of 3.61.  A TriBeta member, the senior is also a member of the Pre-Med Club while also volunteering for Study Buddies, One-Time Volunteers, and the Special Olympics.

First-team Academic All-District honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

CoSIDA Release

Sarah Rozell picks up a grounder and throws to first base. Photo courtesy of Matt Higgins.

Sarah Rozell picks up a grounder and throws to first base. Photo courtesy of Matt Higgins.

Mankato, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus softball team was knocked out of the MIAC Playoffs by Bethel University on Sunday morning at Caswell Park.  The Royals defeated the Gusties 5-2 to advance to the MIAC Playoff Championship against St. Thomas later in the morning.  Gustavus concludes its season 15-19 overall, while Bethel improved to 27-14 with the win.

Gustavus left a total of four runners on base in the first two innings.  Bethel took advantage and drew blood first with a three runs on three hits in the bottom of the second inning.  Kayln Sorenson drove in the first run with a single through the right side, and Angie Jackson brought two home to score with a ground ball up the middle.

Bethel picked up two more runs in the bottom of the fourth to bring the score to 5-0.  Cristina Masten and Rachel Gilbert both recorded one-run singles in the inning.

Gustavus was able to rally after six scoreless frames , but the rally would come three runs short.  Following a Paige Breneman (So., Sherburn, Minn.) walk, Christina Riester (Sr., Wabasha, Minn.) singled.  Brittany Brenke (Jr., Le Sueur, Minn.) drove in a run with a single to cut the lead to 5-1, and Sam Breneman (Sr., Sherburn, Minn.) brought in Riester with sacrifice fly to bring the score to 5-2.

Bethel starting pitcher Karli Persson kept Gustavus’s hitters off balance throughout the morning.  She earned the complete-game victory after allowing two runs on five hits.  Sarah Rozell suffered the loss for Gustavus after going five runs on seven hits.

Brittany Brenke led the Gusties at the dish, going 2-for-4 with a RBI.

Box Score

Starting pitcher Jessica Williams fields a bunt and fires it to first base.

Starting pitcher Jessica Williams fields a bunt and fires it to first base.

Mankato, Minn. – On what was another cold and windy day at Caswell Park, the Gustavus Adolphus softball team did what it had to to stay alive and earn a place as one of the three teams still standing in the MIAC Playoffs.  The Gusties fell to No. 1 seed St. Thomas 8-0 in six innings in their opening game of the day, yet rebounded with an 11-2 victory over No. 3 seed St. Olaf in the elimination game later in the night.

With the victory over St. Olaf, Gustavus earns a trip to another elimination game against No. 2 seed Bethel on Sunday at 9:00 a.m.  Bethel defeated Olaf 10-2 in six innings before falling to St. Thomas 3-2 in eight innings.

The Golden Gusties will enter the final day of the MIAC Playoffs with an overall record of 15-18.  St. Thomas is set to take on the winner of the Gustavus versus Bethel matchup at 11:30 a.m.  If necessary, the winner of game six will face the loser of game six at 2:00 p.m. to close out the tournament

MIAC Playoffs Website

Gustavus vs. St. Thomas Recap

Kat Dahl puts the tag on a sliding Alex Lebens at home plate.

St. Thomas was on the scoreboard early and often to start the day.  After scoring one run in the first inning, the Tommies added five more in the second, and another in the third to jump out to a 7-0 lead.  Inside the fifth inning, Bianca Petersen hit a two-run home run, and Jenna Hoffman homered on the next at-bat.  Peterson finished the game 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI, while Hoffman went 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI.

Kimmy Hassel and Alyssa Dunrud also had big games at the plate for the Tommies.  Hassel went 2-for-4 with a double, two runs, and a RBI, and Dunrud went 2-for-3 with a run.

Gustavus starter Sarah Rozell (So., Lakeville, Minn.) lasted two innings and allowed six runs (five earned) on six hits.  Kate Rentschler (Sr., Lakefield, Minn.) took her spot and allowed two runs on six hits in three and two-thirds innings.

Gustavus mustered just three hits throughout the game, as Tommie starter Kendra Bowe earned the victory after giving up two hits in four innings.  Brianna Bannon took over for her and went two innings and allowed one hit.

Gustavus vs. St. Olaf Recap

Against St. Olaf in a win or go home scenario later in the evening, the difference was the third inning when Gustavus scored eight runs on seven hits.  After Paige Breneman (So., Sherburn, Minn.) drew a bases loaded walk that tied the game at 2-2, the flood gates opened.  Jessica Williams (Fy., Plymouth, Minn.) drove in two runs with a single up the middle before Christina Riester (Sr., Wabasha, Minn.) drove in another run with a single of her own.  Now with a 5-2 lead, Kailey Morgan (So., Mound, Minn.) doubled to right-center to plate Brittany Brenke (Jr., Le Sueur, Minn.) and Riester, and Kate Rentschler followed with a two-run single through the right side of the infield.  Rentschler’s single brought the score to 9-2 when the dust settled in Gustavus’s big inning.

St. Olaf’s only two runs of the game came in the second inning.  From that inning on, Gustie starter Jessica Williams shut the Oles down the remaining four innings. Williams allowed two runs on six hits, improving to 2-1 overall with the win.

Kaitlyn Bicek has stepped into a role at shortstop for the injured Shelby Nosan.

The Gusties added two runs in the top of the sixth inning to bring the game to a final at 11-2.  Kat Dahl (Jr., Luverne, Minn.) singled down the left field line to score Carly Klass, and Williams brought Sam Breneman (Sr., Sherburn, Minn.) in with a sacrifice fly to left.

Gustavus tallied 14 total hits in the game.  St. Olaf starter Danielle Collins took the loss after allowing nine runs (eight earned) on 10 hits in two and one-thirds innings.

Nine different Gusties recorded a hit, while five had a multiple-hit game.  Kate Rentschler went 2-for-3 with a walk, run and three RBI, Paige Breneman went 2-for-3 with walk, double, run and a RBI, and Breanne Rentschler (So., Lakefield, Minn.) went 2-for-3 with a run.  Klass finished 2-for-4 with two runs, and Dahl went 2-for-4 with a run and a RBI.

Box Score

Live video and live stats will be provided for all of tomorrow’s games.

Photo Gallery

Kailey Morgan and Christina Riester celebrate Friday after Gustavus's win over Carleton.

Kailey Morgan and Christina Riester celebrate Friday after Gustavus's win over Carleton.

Mankato, Minn. – Through the frigid temperatures and freezing rain, and despite the fact that the Gustavus softball team had won just one game over its past eight leading up to the MIAC Playoffs, the Gusties prevailed and with a pair of victories on Friday at Caswell Park.

To begin the afternoon in Pool D, No. 9 seed Carleton upset No. 4 seed Saint Mary’s 11-2.  No. 5 seed Gustavus then came from behind to defeat Carleton 7-6 in game two.  With destiny in their own hands, the Gusties closed the day with an 8-4 win over Saint Mary’s, allowing them a trip to Saturday’s four-team double elimination bracket.

In the opening round of Saturday’s bracket back at Caswell Park, Gustavus will face No. 1 seed St. Thomas, while No. 3 seed St. Olaf will battle No. 2 seed Bethel.  Both games will begin at 3:00 p.m.  At 5:00 p.m., the winner of game one and the winner of game two will square off, while the loser of game one will take on the loser of game two.

Live stats and live video will be provided for the Gustavus versus St. Thomas matchup.

Gustavus vs. Carleton Recap

The Gusties didn’t waste any time putting runs on the scoreboard against Carleton in their opening bout of the day.  Kate Rentschler (Sr., Lakefield, Minn.) and Carly Klass (So., Richfield, Minn.) both drove in a run to put Gustavus on top 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning.

Kate Rentschler went a combined 6-7 with two runs and one RBI.

Carleton answered with three runs in the top of the third inning to grab a 3-2 edge.  Kelsey Parsons brought in both Katrina Harper and Jenny Ramey with a single to left field, and Keelin Davis added a one-run single to plate Parsons later in the innings.

The Knights extended their lead to 4-2 with another run in the top of the fifth inning when Davis plated Harper with a ground ball to third base.

Gustavus got the run back in the bottom of the inning to bring the score to 4-3.  Although the Gusties led off the inning with three straight singles, it was Rentschler driving in the only run of the frame with a ground ball to second base.

After Carleton scored in the top of the sixth inning to go up 5-3, Gustavus broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth.  Brittany Brenke (Jr., Le Sueur, Minn.) started off the rally with double to center field.  Her run would later come across on a Kailey Morgan (So., Mound, Minn.) grounder to first.  Gustavus tied the game at 5-5 on another Carleton error, and Klass followed up with a two-run single to plate both Sarah Rozell (So., Lakeville, Minn.) and Rentschler, giving Gustavus a 7-5 lead.

The Knights would put together a small rally in the seventh, scoring a run a two hits to bring the game to a final at 7-6.

Rentschler turned in a monster game at the plate to lead the Gusties.  The senior went 3-for-3 with a walk, two doubles, and two runs.  Carly Klass was next in line, going 3-for-4 with three RBI.  Both Sarah Rozell and Brittany Brenke had two hits.  Rozell was 2-for-4 with two runs an a RBI, while Brenke was 2-for-3 with two doubles.

Rozell earned the complete-game victory on the rubber after allowing six runs (two earned) on 12 hits.  She improved to 7-6 on the year with the win.  Carleton’s Keelin Davis suffered the loss after giving up seven runs (four earned) on 12 hits in six innings.

Box Score

Gustavus vs. Saint Mary’s Recap

Late runs made the difference in the Friday’s nightcap, as Gustavus opened up a 1-0 lead with two runs in the fifth and four more in the sixth.  In the first inning it was Sarah Rozell diving in Brittany Brenke with a single to give the Black and Gold of 1-0 edge.

Sarah Rozell went the distance in a pair of wins on Friday at the MIAC Playoffs.

Starting in back-to-back games, Rozell got outs early.  She allowed just two hits in the opening four innings of the game.

In the top of the fifth, Christina Riester (Sr., Wabasha, Minn.) singled down the left field line to bring home Alison Eder-Zdechlik (Fy., Stillwater, Minn.), and Kate Rentschler singled to right to score Reister.

After Saint Mary’s cut the lead to 3-1 with a run in the bottom of the fifth, Gustavus put four runs on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth to extend its lead to 7-1.  Gustavus took advantage of a Kat Dahl (Jr., Luverne, Minn.) one-run single, two Saint Mary’s errors, and two passed balls that resulted in runs all within the inning.

Dahl doubled to center field in the top of the seventh inning, scoring Paige Breneman (So., Sherburn, Minn.) and giving Gustavus an 8-1 lead.

Saint Mary’s got a rally going in the bottom of the seventh, yet couldn’t muster the remaining four runs and the game ended in an 8-4 final.

Rozell’s second consecutive complete-game victory improved her record to 8-6.  She gave up four runs (three unearned) on 10 hits while striking out seven Cardinal batters.  Saint Mary’s Kayla Peterson took the loss after allowing six runs (two earned) on nine hits.

Dahl and Rentschler led the Gusties at the plate, going a combined 7-for-8.  Dahl was 4-for-4 with a double, a triple, one run, two RBI, while Rentschler was 3-for-4 with a RBI.

Box Score

Photo Gallery

St. Peter, Minn. - The Gustavus Adolphus softball team is set to take part in the 2013 MIAC Playoffs beginning Friday, May 3 at Caswell Park in Mankato, Minn.  Gustavus enters the tournament as the No. 5 seed after finishing the regular season 12-17 overall and 9-9 in the MIAC.  Because of the revamped playoff format that now features all 12 conference teams battling for four spots in Saturday’s semifinals, the Gusties will have to go through No. 4 seed Saint Mary’s University and No. 9 seed Carleton College in Pool D.  Saint Mary’s comes in at 18-13 overall and 11-9 in the MIAC, while Carleton enters at 13-18 overall and 8-10 in the MIAC.

Saint Mary’s will face Carleton at 3:00 p.m. to open up play in Pool D.  Gustavus will then face Carleton at 5:00 p.m. before rounding out the day against Saint Mary’s at 7:00 p.m.  Live stats for Pool D can be found via the link below.

http://webpages.charter.net/esieger/sb/xlive.htm

Gustavus’s games will also be broadcast live on KNUJ AM 860 and online through the Gustavus athletics website.

The Gustavus softball team swept both Saint Mary’s and Carleton during the regular season.  The Gusties topped the Knights by scores of 8-1 and 7-5 on April 25 and the Cardinals by scores of 6-5 and 2-0 on April 27.

The Gusties will look to center fielder Brittany Brenke (Jr., Le Sueur, Minn.) to lead the offense this weekend.  Brenke is hitting a team-best .386 with three doubles and a team-high 13 runs.  In 15 conference games, Brenke has hit .463 with an on-base percentage of .511.  Also within conference play, Carly Klass (So., Richfield, Minn.) is hitting .375 with three doubles and a home run, while Kate Rentschler (Sr., Lakefield, Minn.) is batting .359 with 10 RBI, three doubles and two home runs.

The Gustavus pitching staff has been led by sophomore Sarah Rozell (Lakeville, Minn.) this season.  Rozell enters Friday with an overall record of 6-6 and an ERA of .267.  Against conference foes she is 4-3 with a 2.28 ERA and an opponent batting average of .279.  Kate Rentschler comes in at 4-4 in league play with a 3.36 ERA, while Jessica Williams (Fy., Plymouth, Minn.) has also proven herself on the rubber, posting a 1-1 league record with a 0.67 ERA.

Regular-season champion St. Thomas headlines the 12-team field, and will be the top seed in the tournament. The winner of each pool will advance to a four-team, double-elimination bracket to crown a champion. The other top seeds are No. 2 Bethel, No. 3 St. Olaf and No. 4 Saint Mary’s. The conference announced all 12 seeds Thursday and provided information on the process.

Complete details for the 2013 MIAC Softball Playoffs are available on the tournament’s home page. Host school Gustavus plans to provide live stats for all 12 round-robin pool games Friday, and live video/audio for the remainder of the tournament, weather and staff permitting. The MIAC will update the Softball Playoff home page throughout the tournament with results, box scores, updated schedules, recaps, photos and more.  Throughout the tournament, fans can interact on Facebook and Twitter (@MIAConline) using the hashtags #MIACSB and #MIACPlayoffs.

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Last week, all 12 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) softball teams learned they’d be in the 2013 MIAC Softball Playoff field when the league decided to alter its format after the regular season was decimated by inclement weather. Thursday, all 12 teams learned their seed, pool assignment and first-day matchups when the conference determined and announced the seeds. The tournament will be hosted by Gustavus Adolphus College Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Caswell Park in Mankato, Minn.

St. Thomas (33-5, 20-0 MIAC) – which captured its fourth-straight MIAC regular-season championship with a perfect 20-0 mark in conference games – will enter the 2013 MIAC Softball Playoffs as the top seed, and will headline one of the four three-team pools that will open the postseason with round-robin play Friday. No. 2-seeded Bethel (23-13, 14-6 MIAC), No. 3-seeded St. Olaf (5-13, 8-8 MIAC) and No. 4-seeded Saint Mary’s (18-13, 11-9 MIAC) headline the other three pools.

In the new format, which will be exclusive to 2013, Friday’s action will feature the four three-team pools engaging in round-robin play, with the winner of each pool advancing to the usual four-team, double-elimination format, which will play out on Saturday and Sunday to determine the MIAC’s postseason champion, and the recipient of the league’s automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament.

Because teams completed varying numbers of conference games this season, the coaches elected to adopt a seeding method that takes into account winning percentage in both conference and overall games, and the NCAA’s in-region strength-of-schedule number. Each team’s conference rank in each of the three categories were added together to determine the 12 seeds.

The four pools were then determined by grouping the top eight together as assigned with No. 1 and No. 8 in Pool A, No. 2 and No. 7 in Pool B, No. 3 and No. 6 in Pool C and No. 4 and No. 5 in Pool D. Then, teams seeded No. 9-12 were randomly assigned to one of the four pools.

The Tommies will be joined in Pool A by No. 8 St. Catherine (9-15, 7-11 MIAC) and No. 10 Macalester (11-13, 5-15 MIAC). The Royals were joined in Pool B by No. 7 Saint Benedict (19-17, 8-12 MIAC) and No. 11 Augsburg (12-26, 5-15 MIAC). No. 6 Hamline (17-15, 12-8 MIAC) and No. 12 Concordia (7-17, 3-7 MIAC) joined the Oles in Pool C, and Pool D saw No. 5 Gustavus and No. 9 Carleton join the fourth-seeded Cardinals.

In each pool, the top seed will take on the lowest seed at 3 p.m., followed by the two lower seeds playing at 5 p.m. and the top two seeds meeting at 7 p.m. The winner from each pool will advance to the four-team, double-elimination tournament. The conference coaches have established tiebreaker criteria in pool play, and that criteria is available on the 2013 MIAC Softball Playoff home page.

The four-team double-elimination portion of the tournament begins with two first-round games at 3 p.m. The two winners advance and meet at 5 p.m., and the two first-round losers also meet at 5 p.m. in an elimination game. An elimination semifinal will take place Sunday at 9 a.m. with the championship slated for 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., if a second game is needed. Original seeds will carry over to seed the double-elimination portion.

Complete details for the 2013 MIAC Softball Playoffs are available on the tournament’s home page. Host school Gustavus plans to provide live stats for all 12 round-robin pool games Friday, and live video/audio for the remainder of the tournament, weather and staff permitting. The MIAC will update the Softball Playoff home page throughout the tournament with results, box scores, updated schedules, recaps, photos and more.

2013 MIAC Softball Playoff seeds
No. 1 – St. Thomas (33-5, 20-0 MIAC)
No. 2 – Bethel (23-13, 14-6 MIAC)
No. 3 – St. Olaf (8-8, 5-13 MIAC)
No. 4 – Saint Mary’s (18-13, 11-9 MIAC)
No. 5 – Gustavus (12-17, 9-9 MIAC)
No. 6 – Hamline (17-15, 12-8 MIAC)
No. 7 – Saint Benedict (19-17, 8-12 MIAC)
No. 8 – St. Catherine (15-16, 7-11 MIAC)
No. 9 – Carleton (13-18, 8-10 MIAC)
No. 10 – Macalester (5-15, 13-15 MIAC)
No. 11 – Augsburg (12-26, 5-15 MIAC)
No. 12 – Concordia (7-17, 3-7 MIAC)

2013 MIAC Softball Playoffs Schedule
POOL A
No. 1 St. Thomas vs. No. 10 Macalester – 3 p.m.
No. 8 St. Catherine vs. No. 10 Macalester – 5 p.m.
No. 1 St. Thomas vs. No. 8 St. Catherine – 7 p.m.

POOL B
No. 2 Bethel vs. No. 11 Augsburg – 3 p.m.
No. 7 Saint Benedict vs. No. 11 Augsburg – 5 p.m.
No. 2 Bethel vs. No. 7 Saint Benedict – 7 p.m.

POOL C
No. 3 St. Olaf vs. No. 12 Concordia – 3 p.m.
No. 6 Hamline vs. No. 12 Concordia – 5 p.m.
No. 3 St. Olaf vs. No. 6 Hamline – 7 p.m.

POOL D
No. 4 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 9 Carleton – 3 p.m.
No. 5 Gustavus vs. No. 9 Carleton – 5 p.m.
No. 4 Saint Mary’s vs. No. 5 Gustavus – 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 4
Game 1: Fourth-remaining seed vs. Top-remaining seed, 3 p.m.
Game 2: Third-remaining seed vs. Second-remaining seed, 3 p.m.
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 5 p.m.
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 5 p.m.

Sunday, May 5
Game 5: Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 9 a.m.
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 11:30 a.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 (if necessary), 2 p.m.

*Playoff Champions win the MIAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament

Brittany Brenke went a combined 4-for-6 with two runs, two RBI, a walk, and a double against Bethel on Tuesday.

Brittany Brenke went a combined 4-for-6 with two runs, two RBI, a walk, and a double against Bethel on Tuesday.

St. Peter, Minn. – Although the Gustavus softball team’s offense showed improvement compared to its last six games, it still wasn’t enough against Bethel University on Tuesday afternoon at the Gustie Softball Field.  The Gusties suffered their second consecutive sweep, falling 6-4 in game one and 8-4 in game two.  Gustavus concludes the 2013 regular season 12-17 overall and 9-9 in the MIAC, while Bethel moves to 23-13 overall and 14-6 in the MIAC.

Game One Recap

After Bethel drew blood first with a run in the top of the first inning, Gustavus answered with two runs in the bottom half to grab a 2-1 lead.  Brittany Brenke (Jr., Le Sueur, Minn.) led the inning off with a double to the warning track of the left-center field gap.  Brenke was then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jessica Williams (Fr., Plymouth, Minn.), and Kailey Morgan (So., Mound, Minn.) drove her in with a hard liner to the shortstop.  Carly Klass (So., Richfield, Minn.) brought in the other run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to center  to score Morgan.

Bethel answered quickly in the top of the second when Tara Schinke lifted a home run over the right-center field fence to tie the game at 2-2.

Between the third and six innings, Gustavus starter Kate Rentschler (Sr., Lakefield, Minn.) allowed just one Bethel hitter to reach base.

Gustavus re-claimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to a two-run single by Morgan that brought home Christina Riester (Sr., Wabasha, Minn.) and Brenke.  Riester and Brenke recorded back-to-back singles to kick-start the inning, as Gustavus led 4-2 at that point.

Brenke and Morgan both finished with multiple hits in the game.  Brenke went 2-for-3 with two runs and a double, while Morgan went 2-for-3 with one run and three RBI.

In the top of the seventh inning with a 4-2 advantage, disaster struck for the Gusties.  With runners on second and third with no outs, Rachel Gilbert hit a three-run home run to put the Royals on top 5-4.  Although Bethel added another run later in the same inning on a Sorensen double, the Gilbert bomb turned out to be the back-breaker.

Kate Rentschler suffered the loss and dropped to 5-9 on the year.  She allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits in seven innings.  Bethel’s Karli Persson picked up the win after giving up four runs on seven hits in a complete game.

Box Score

Game Two Recap

The Royals jumped all over the over Gustavus in game two, scoring seven unanswered runs in their first two at-bats.  Bethel scored three runs on four hits in the top of the first and four runs on five hits in the top of the second.

Gustavus was able to cut the lead to 7-1 in the bottom of the second inning when Kate Rentschler drove a pitch over the right field wall.  The home run was Rentschler’s second of the year.

After Bethel scored its final run of the game in the top of third, Gustavus responded with a run in the bottom of the inning.  Kailey Morgan drove in Christina Riester with a single past the third baseman and Gustavus trailed 8-2.

Following two complete scoreless innings, the Gusties picked up two more runs in sixth to bring the score to a final at 8-4.  With two outs and the bases loaded, Brittany Brenke lined a pitch to center field to plate Brooke Falk (So., Glenwood, Minn.) and Carly Klass (So., Richfield, Minn.).  Brenke led the Gusties at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI.

Courtney Saurer earned the game two victory, while Sarah Rozell suffered the loss.  Saurer allowed four runs on four hits in seven innings.  Rozell fell to 6-6 on the season after giving up eight runs (six earned) on 14 hits.

Box Score

The Gustavus softball team will now gear up for the MIAC Playoffs set to take place this weekend at Caswell Park in Mankato, Minn.  The new format of this year’s tournament will feature four three-team pools playing round-robin games on Friday, May 3, with the four first-place teams advancing from each pool into a four-team, double-elimination tournament on Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5.  For more information, please go to the 2013 MIAC Playoff website set up by the conference.

Photo Gallery

Carly Klass led Gustavus by going a combined 3-for-4 with a run against St. Thomas.

St. Paul – The Gustavus Adolphus softball team suffered a pair of losses to MIAC leader St. Thomas on Tuesday at South Field.  The Gusties fell 9-1 in game one and 6-0 in game two.  Gustavus heads into tomorrow’s regular season finale at 12-15 overall and 9-7 in the MIAC, while St. Thomas improves to 33-5 overall and 20-0 in the MIAC.

Game One Recap

Gustavus battled through the first three innings of game one, taking an early lead before St. Thomas tied the game at 1-1 heading into the fourth inning.

Gustavus got its run in the top of the second inning.  Carly Klass (So., Richfield, Minn.) got aboard with a one out single to center field, and Jessica Williams (Fy., Plymouth, Minn.) reached on an error by the Tommie shortstop.  Kat Dahl (Jr., Luverne, Minn.) then singled to left to put the Black and Gold on top 1-0.

Williams started the game and went three innings, allowing one run on four hits.  Her only run allowed came in the bottom of the third when St. Thomas’s Jenna Hoffman flew out to right field to score Laura Pawlik.

With the score tied at 1-1, St. Thomas exploded for eight runs over the final three innings.  After the Tommies scored a run on two hits in the fourth to go up 2-1, they broke the game open with a five run inning in the fifth.  McKenzie Wergin hit a three-run double, Fantashia GatesColbert brought in a run with a single, and Pawlik plated another run with a double.  Emily Gregory brought the game’s scoring to a close with a two-run single in the sixth.

St. Thomas’s Brianna Bannon picked up the six inning victory after allowing one run (zero earned) on five hits.  Kate Rentschler (Sr., Lakefield, Minn.) suffered the loss in two innings of work, giving up six runs on seven hits.

Box Score

Although their offense improved with seven hits in game two, the Gusties still couldn’t find a way to bring runs across.  The club threatened in both the sixth and seventh innings, loading up the bases yet failing to score.

Sarah Rozell (So., Lakeville, Minn.) suffered her first loss in three outings, allowing one run on four hits in three innings.  Williams pitched two innings and allowed one run on four hits, while Rentschler gave up four runs on four hits in one inning

After taking a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first, Gustavus kept Tommies off the scoreboard for three full innings.  With a 2-0 lead after picking up a run in the fifth, St. Thomas scored four runs on four hits in the sixth.  Mary Rentz and Emily Gregory each had one-run singles, and Genny Duffy added a two-run triple.

Morgan Murphy got the win after throwing three and one-third scoreless innings.

Box Score

The Gustavus softball team will look to regroup on its home field for the final time this season tomorrow afternoon.  The Gusties will take on Bethel University in a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m.  It will be Senior Day at the Gustie Softball Field as the Golden Gustie seniors Christina Riester (Wabasha, Minn.), Sam Breneman (Sherburn, Minn.), and Kate Rentschler will be honored in between games.