St. Paul, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus softball team picked up a pair of shut out wins on Tuesday afternoon when it defeated St. Catherine University 6-0 in game one and 2-0 in game two. Leading 3-0 in game one, the Gusties scored three runs in the top of the seventh to cruise to the 6-0 lead before grinding out a 2-0 win in a game two that saw the Wildcats outhit the Gustie women. With the wins, Gustavus improves to 18-12 overall and 12-4 in the MIAC, while St. Catherine drops to 7-21 overall and 5-11 in league play.
Game 1 – Gustavus 6 def. St. Catherine 0
The Gusties scored a run in three of the first four innings and tacked on three more insurance runs in the seventh on the way to a six-run win in the first game.
Gustavus threatened early in the top of the first, loading the bases for Carly Klass (Jr., Richfield, Minn.), who drew a walk to bring in Kaitlyn Bicek (So., Northfield, Minn.) from third. It was all the Gusties could manage, however, as they left three runners stranded and took a 1-0 lead into the second.
Brittany Brenke (Sr., Le Sueur, Minn.) extended Gustavus’s lead to 2-0 in the top of the third with a leadoff home run, her first of the season. Another homer in the top of the fourth gave the Gusties a 3-0 lead. This time it was Kailey Morgan (Jr., Mound, Minn.) delivering the long ball.
Gustavus went on to score three more runs in the top of the seventh inning to cruise to the 6-0 win behind the solid performance of first-year pitcher Hannah Heacox (Stillwater, Minn.), who held the Wildcats to just two hits and struck out nine in a complete game effort.
From the plate, Nathalee Boissiere (So., Plymouth, Minn.) led the way for the Gusties, going 2 for 4 with a pair of runs batted in (RBI). Carly Klass followed with a 2 for 3 day at the dish.
Game 2 – Gustavus 2 def. St. Catherine 0
A pitcher’s dual was in store for game two. The two teams combined for just 13 hits and two runs in the contest. After a scoreless first two innings, Gustavus cracked the scoreless tie with a run in the top of the third.
A two-out rally was capped by an RBI double from Boissiere. The double scored Brenke from second to give the Gusties a 1-0 lead.
Gustavus went on to add to its lead in the top of the fourth. Kailey Morgan reached first on a hit-by-pitch to lead off the inning. Three batters later, an RBI sacrifice fly by Shelby Nosan (Jr., Baudette, Minn.) brought in Ali Hoffman (Fy., New Prague, Minn.) from third to take a 2-0 lead.
It would prove to be all the Gusties would need in the win, as the Gustavus defense held strong the rest of the way. Although the Wildcats recorded two hits in the fourth and three more in the fifth, St. Kate’s could not put one across in the two-run loss.
At the plate, the Gusties tallied just five hits compared to eight for the Wildcats.
Jessica Williams (So., Plymouth, Minn.) recorded the win in the circle for Gustavus, holding St. Catherine scoreless in five innings of work. The win was Williams’s fourth of the season. Heacox finished the final two innings to record the save.
Gustavus will be back in action tomorrow when it hosts Augsburg College at the Gustie Softball Field for a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m.