Kat Dahl went 3-for-4 with 3-for-4 with two runs, three RBI, and home run in Sunday’s second game against Buena Vista.
Rosemount, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus softball team was swept in its season-opening doubleheader by Buena Vista University on Sunday afternoon at the Rosemount Bubble. The Gusties fell 6-1 in game one before dropping game two by a run 6-5. The Gusties will take their 0-2 record into the Division III Leadoff Classic being held this weekend, March 8-9 in Columbus, Ga. Buena Vista improves to 6-6 overall with the wins.
Game One
Buena Vista starting pitcher Jenna Falline was tough in game one, allowing just one run on four Gustie hits in seven innings of work. After Buena Vista grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, Gustavus cut the margin to one with its only run of the game in the top of the third. Kate Rentschler (Sr., Lakefield, Minn.) led the inning off with a double to left-center field, and Carly Klass (So., Richfield, Minn.) singled four batters later to bring her in.
The score remained 2-1 in favor of the Beavers for three full innings before Buena Vista exploded for four runs in the bottom of the sixth. A two-run single by Samantha Knudesen and a two-run double by Mikaela Millslagle brought the score to a final at 6-1.
Kate Rentschler suffered the loss on the hill for Gustavus. She went all six innings, allowing six runs on five hits while striking out three. Rentschler led the Gusties at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a run and a double.
Game Two
The final inning of Sunday’s doubleheader turned out to be the difference, as Buena Vista was able to come away with the sweep after a 6-5 win. Facing a 5-4 deficit heading into the top of the seventh inning, the Beavers scored two runs to grab the lead then shut the Gusties down in the bottom half of the frame.
Sarah Rozell (So., Lakeville, Minn.) suffered the loss on the rubber, going all seven innings and allowing six runs. She struck out nine batters and allowed 11 hits. Her counterpart Faith Schmidt earned the win after giving up five runs (one earned) on six sits.
Gustavus grabbed an early lead when Kat Dahl (Jr., Luverne, Minn.) homered in the bottom of the second inning to put the Gusties up 1-0. Dahl was Gustavus’s top hitter of the game, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBI.
Buena Vista answered with a run in the top of the third inning, yet Gustavus responded right back with one in the bottom of the fourth. With the bases loaded and one out, Christina Riester (Sr., Wabasha, Minn.) drove in Dahl with a ground ball to third base.
Although there were just three total runs scored through the first four innings, a total of six were scored in the fifth. Buena Vista kicked the top half of the frame off with three runs to go up 4-2. Stephanie Hayden brought in two with a single and Jessica Stocker scored the other with a single.
Gustavus answered with three of its own in the bottom of the fifth. Kat Dahl drove in two runs with a single to tie the game at 4-4, and Kailey Morgan (So., Mound, Minn.) scored on a Riester grounder to short to put the Gusties up 5-4.
In the top of the seventh inning, Buena Vista’s Sam Engleman doubled to center field to tie the game at 5-5, and Stocker singled to right-center to bring her across home plate for the eventual game-winning run.