The Gustavus softball team clinched a playoff spot by sweeping Augsburg 5-0 and 8-3 on a cold and blustery Wednesday afternoon in St. Peter. The Gusties are now 21-13 overall and 15-3 in the MIAC.
In game one, Joyce DeWitz shut Augsburg down limiting them to only two hits and not allowing a runner past second base in her six innings on the mound. Gustavus scored the only runs it would need in the third inning when Whitney Bartolo hit a two-out single that scored Julie Mahre and Mary Furlong. The Gusties added three more runs in the fifth on three hits and two Augsburg errors. Audrey Lenoch contributed the key hit which was a single that drove in two runs. Jenna Ruhl came in to pitch the seventh inning for Gustavus.
In game two, Gustavus took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning aided by back-to-back doubles by Audrey Lenoch and Dawn Lewis. The Auggies scored three runs in the top of the third to tie the game at 3-3. The Gusties took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the third and then extended the lead to 5-3 in the bottom of the fourth. Gustavus broke the game open with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Janie Hanson was the winning pitcher for Gustavus. She pitched the first three innings allowing five hits and three runs (one earned). Joyce DeWitz pitched the final four innings allowing three hits while not allowing a run. Dawn Lewis went 4-for-4 at the plate and drove in two runs, while Julie Mahre went 3-for-4 and drove in one run. Mahre was 5-for-8 in the two games for Gustavus.
The third place Gusties will host fourth place Hamline for two games on Thursday, April 28 at 4:00 pm. The team will then wrap up MIAC regular season play at St. Catherine on Saturday, April 30.