Rachel Malo makes a diving catch in Wednesday's doubleheader against St. Catherine. Photo courtesy of CJ Siewert - Sport PiX.
St. Peter, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus softball team managed to salvage a split against St. Catherine University on Wednesday afternoon at the Gustie Softball Field. Despite suffering a 6-4 loss in game one, Gustavus bounced back with a 2-1 victory in game two. Gustavus moves to 14-12 overall and 4-4 in the MIAC, while St. Catherine goes to 17-5 overall and 4-2 in the MIAC.
Game One Recap
St. Catherine jumped out to a 3-0 lead after scoring one run in the top of the third inning and two more in the top of the fourth.
Facing a three-run deficit, the Gusties came roaring back in the bottom of the fourth. Kailey Morgan (Sr., Mound, Minn.) led off the inning with a double to the right-center field gap, and Paige Breneman (Sr., Sherburn, Minn.) got on base thanks to an error on the St. Kate’s left fielder. Jena Willis (So., Glacier, Mont.) put Gustavus on the scoreboard with a liner to right-center to score Morgan and cut the lead to 3-1. With two outs and runners on second and third base, Shelby Nosan (Sr., Baudette, Minn.) lined a shot up the middle to bring in both runners and knot the game at 3-3.
In catch-up mode once again after Hailey Kuhl knocked out a one-run shot over the center field fence in the top of the fifth, the Gusties answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning. Carly Klass (Sr., Richfield, Minn.) got aboard with a triple off the center-field fence, and Nathalee Boissiere (Jr., Plymouth, Minn.) drove her in with a deep fly to left field.
After going 1-for-3 with a run in both games, Kailey Morgan extends her hitting-streak to eight games.
With the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the seventh, starter Hannah Heacox (So., Stillwater, Minn.) was able to buckle down and get straight two outs without allowing a run. With two outs, Michaela Bruns hit a dribbler to Heacox who then short-armed the toss to first base, which allowed the game-winning runs to score.
Heacox falls to 4-3 with the loss. She allowed six runs on 10 hits to go along with nine strikeouts. St. Kate’s Kailee Berquam started the game and allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits in three and one-thirds innings. Krista Flugstad picked up the win to improve to 8-3 after allowing one run on two hits in three and two-thirds innings.
Of Gustavus’s seven hits, Jena Willis led the way by going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Shelby Nosan drove in two runs and went 1-for-3 with a walk.
Game Two Recap
Following three blank innings, the Gusties broke the scoreless tie in the fourth. Kailey Morgan got the frame started with double off the right-center field fence. Paige Breneman followed with a single, and Morgan came across home plate on a throwing error by the Wildcat shortstop.
After St. Kate’s tied the game at 1-1 thanks to a one-run single by Megan Lindenfelser in the sixth, Gustavus took back the lead (2-1) when Breanne Rentschler (Sr., Lakefield, Minn.) scored what turned out to be the game-winning on an infield error.
Although the Wildcats were able to get their leadoff hitter aboard in the top of the seventh, starter Sarah Rozell (Sr., Lakeville, Minn.) put to rest any comeback hopes with three straight outs to secure the win. Rozell improves to 4-5 after allowing one run on five hits with four strikeouts. She made her infield work throughout the game with a total of 14 ground outs.
St. Catherine starter, Krista Flugstad, suffered the loss after allowing two runs (zero earned) on six hits. Six different Gusties accounted for the team’s hit total.