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.
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.
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.