St. Paul, Minn. – In a battle of the MIAC’s top teams, the Gustavus Adolphus College softball team was bested by the University of St. Thomas in a doubleheader at South Field on Saturday. The Tommies earned narrow 3-1 and 4-3 wins, respectively to drop the Gusties to 18-9 overall and 9-4 in the conference.
Game One: St. Thomas 3, Gustavus 1
The Gusties got on the board first on a double by Nathalee Boissiere (Sr., Plymouth, Minn.) in the top of the first that brought in Kaitlyn Bicek (Sr., Norhtfield, Minn.). However, a Gustie error in the fourth allowed the Tommie equalizer, and St. Thomas’ Brenna Walek hit a two-run bomb in the sixth to secure a game one victory for the home squad.
Hannah Heacox (Jr., Stillwater, Minn.) suffered the loss after going the distance. She allowed the three runs (two were earned) on nine hits and forced 13 flyouts and four groundouts.
Game Two: St. Thomas 4, Gustavus 3
Game two proved to be a pitcher’s duel until the bottom of the third when St. Thomas scored one off a double and single. The Gusties’ Ashley Hoffman (Fy., New Prague, Minn.) answered with a three-run double in the top of the fourth inning that brought the Gusties ahead 3-1.
Unfortunately for the Black and Gold, the Tommies’ game one heroes found their magic again in game two, as Walek smashed her second homer of the day in the bottom of the sixth and Meg DuPuis hit her second RBI to tie the game at three-apiece. St. Thomas’ Micaela Trainor then hit a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to seal the sweep for the Tommies.
Jena Willis (Jr., Kalispell, Mt.) started the game for Gustavus and went five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits, while striking out one. Heacox suffered her second loss of the day after allowing the game-winning run in the seventh.
The Gusties return to action tomorrow when they welcome St. Olaf for a 1 p.m. doubleheader in St. Peter.