The Gustavus softball team wrapped up the regular season with 10-0 and 9-2 wins over St. Catherine on Wednesday afternoon in St. Paul. Rachael Click and Julie Mahre combined to drive in 11 runs during the doubleheader. Callie Nelsen recorded the win in game one, while Betsie Collins posted the win in game two. Gustavus, which finished second in the MIAC standings for the third consecutive season, improved to 30-6 overall and 18-4 in the conference.
After recording one run in the first inning of game one, Gustavus rallied for six runs on four hits with two outs in the second inning. Julie Mahre hit a double to left field to drive in Kirsten Prunty and Paige Hays followed by an Andrea Brown double to score Mahre. The next Gustie batter, Rachael Click, continued the rally with a two-run home run, forcing St. Kate’s to make a pitching change. Gustavus scored another run before the frame was over.
The remaining three runs were scored on another two-run double from Mahre in the third inning and a solo home run by Jenna Johnson in the fourth. Erin Truebenbach entered the game in the fifth inning, and struck out the Wildcat side to end the game. Callie Nelsen scattered three St. Kate’s hits over four innings for the win on the mound. Mahre finished the game 2-for-3 from the plate with four RBI and two doubles.
Gustavus scored one run in the second game of the doubleheader after Emily Klein delivered a two-out double to drive in Click for the early advantage. With a 2-0 lead, the Gusties scored three runs in the fifth and sixth innings. The top of the batting order rattled off four straight hits as Mahre, Brown, Click, and Klein scored three runs in fifth. Mahre posted her third two-run double in the top of the sixth inning to drive Jenny Ewert and Kelly Myers.
St. Kate’s got on the scoreboard in the following at-bat as Andrea Boser was hit by a pitch and eventually came around to score. However, Jenna Johnson increased the Gustie margin back to seven runs in the seventh when she hit her third home run in as many at-bats. The Wildcats mounted one last comeback when Beth Freier hit a solo home run with two outs, before Truebenbach struck out the last batter. Betsie Collins earned the victory after compiling three hits in three innings of work.
The Gusties, who tallied 30 wins for the third consecutive season, will face Hamline in its first game of the MIAC Post-Season Tournament on Friday at the Rice Creek Complex in Shoreview, Minn. at 3 p.m.