Kat Dahl went 2-for-2 with a grand slam home run and five RBI in game one against the Cardinals. Dahl is 6-for-6 over the last two games.
Winona, Minn. – The Gustavus softball team capped the 2012 regular season with a sweep of Saint Mary’s on Tuesday afternoon in Winona, Minn. The Gusties defeated the Cardinals 10-1 in five innings in game one, and 5-2 in game two. The Black and Gold head into the MIAC Playoffs as the No. 2 seed at 20-2 in MIAC play and 30-8 overall. Despite suffering the sweep, Saint Mary’s earns the No. 4 seed in conference tournament, capping its season at 11-11 in the MIAC and 17-19 overall.
Game One
The Gusties jumped out to an early 10-0 lead after scoring five runs in each of the first two innings of game one. A Sarah Rozell one-run single to right field put Gustavus up 1-0. Later in the inning, Kat Dahl continued on her hitting tear with a grand slam home run, giving Gustavus a 5-0 advantage. Dahl would finish the game 2-for-2 with a run and five RBI. She is now 6-for-6 over the last two games.
After a double by Kailey Morgan put Gustavus up 6-0, Rozell knocked in another two runs with a single to extend the lead to 8-0. Rozell also had a multiple-hit game, going 2-for-2 with two runs and three RBI. A RBI by Mackenzie Dalton and a one-run single by Dahl put the Gusties on top 10-0.
The only blemish on Gustavus starter Kate Rentschler’s stat line was a run given up in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rentschler improved to 15-4 with the win, going four innings and allowing two hits. Bethany Flohrs closed out the game in the fifth, setting the Cardinals down in order.
Game Two
After four scoreless innings in game two, Gustavus grabbed a 1-0 lead when Carly Klass doubled to right-center field to score Sam Breneman. Carly finished 2-for-3 with one run and a RBI.
The Cardinals answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth to take their first lead of the afternoon at 2-1. That would be it for the Cardinals in game two, as Gustavus went on to score four runs in the seventh inning to bring the score to a final at 6-2. Brittany Brenke notched a two-run double and Morgan recorded a one-run single in the inning.
Sarah Rozell improved to 16-2 with the complete-game win. Rozell allowed two runs on 11 hits while striking out nine batters, her second-highest total of the season.
The Gustavus softball team will face Augsburg College in the opening round of the MIAC Playoffs on Friday at 3:00 p.m. at the Rice Cree Complex in Shoreview, Minn.