ST. PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus softball team was downed twice by Hamline University Sunday afternoon, losing by scores of of 4-1 and 8-0 at Gustie Softball Field.
With the sweep, the Pipers improve their record to 9-7 overall and remain undefeated at 4-0 in the MIAC. The Gusties fall to 13-7 overall, 1-3 MIAC.
Hamline 4, Gustavus 1 (Box Score)
The Gusties took an early 1-0 lead after two innings of game one, but were unable to keep the offense going as they were held to just three hits in the game.
Emily Carlson (Fy., Burnsville, Minn.) led off the second with a base on balls prior to advancing on a Jessica Neuman (Jr., Elk River, Minn.) sacrifice bunt. A Caitlin Kammerer (Fy., Watertown, Minn.) single then put runners on the corners before Carlson scored as Kammerer was caught stealing, giving Gustavus a 1-0 lead.
Hamline answered in the third inning, posting a run off two hits including a Chelsea Koehn home run over the center field fence off Gustie pitcher Hannah Heacox (Sr., Stillwater, Minn.), sparking the Piper offense. They then added another two runs in the fourth and another in the seventh inning, closing out Gustavus with a 4-1 win.
Heacox went the distance in the circle for the Gusties, posting nine strikeouts while allowing seven Hamline hits and three earned runs. She suffered the loss to move her record to 6-5 on the season, notching her 10th complete game.
Kammerer (2-3) and Carlson (1-2, 2B) led Gustavus at the plate.
“Hannah pitched really well, keeping the runs to a minimum,” said Head Coach Britt Stewart. “She also was able to get out of some big innings. Emily Carlson had a great day behind plate with some key hits and scoring the only run of the day.”
Hamline 8, Gustavus 0 (5 inn.)
The Piper bats were firing often and early in game two, knocking out Gustie starting pitcher Jena Willis (Sr., Kalispell, Mt.) in the third inning.
Hamline tallied three runs off three hits and two Gustavus errors in the first inning and didn’t look back, adding four in the next two innings and another in the fifth the close out the Gusties in five innings with the 8-0 lead.
After allowing six hits and five runs in two innings, Aly Freeman (Fy., Omaha, Neb.) came in to relieve Willis in the third inning. Freeman pitched a season-high three innings and allowed three runs off three hits.
“Aly stepped up as a freshman and was effective on the mound,” Stewart commented.
Casey Anderson held the Gusties to just four hits on the rubber, earning the shutout and the win in for the Pipers.
Heacox led the Gustavus offense in game two, going 2-for-2 in the leadoff spot.
On Wednesday, the Black and Gold will travel to Minneapolis, Minn. for another MIAC doubleheader at Augsburg College. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.