ROCHESTER, Minn. – The Gustavus women’s softball team traveled to Rochester Regional Dome on Sunday to take on two WIAC foes. The Gusties defeated UW-River Falls 6-4 in game one before falling to UW-Eau Claire 7-2. With the results the Gusties move to 2-3 on the season.
“Game one we played really well all seven innings,” said Head Coach Britt Stewart. “We were able to string hits together for a couple of big innings, we got solid performances on the mound from Aly and Ashley, and we had good defense throughout the game for a good team win.”
In game two it was a little bit more challenging as Eau Claire came out swinging and got to us early,” said Stewart. “Our bats needed to wake up a little earlier but I’m proud of how our girls fought. Aly and [Ashley] Beise swung the bat strong today so it’s nice to see consistency from our upperclassman. We got better today and that’s what we like to see early in the season. Our girls are trusting the process and are seeing things come together.”
Gustavus 6 – 4 UW-River Falls
In game one the Falcons struck first, scoring a lone run in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. After Gustavus got two runners on in the second, the Falcons were able to get out of the jam. The Gusties though, were able to get to the UW-River Falls pitcher in inning number three when Caitlin Kammerer (Jr., Watertown, Minn.) doubled to start the inning, then a few batters later Ashley Neuenfeldt (So., Bloomington, Minn.) singled, followed by an Aly Freeman (Jr., Omaha, Neb.) ground-rule double to put the Black and Gold up 2-1. Freeman advanced to third on a passed ball and was then driven in by Kenzie Skuza (Fy., Princeton, Minn.) later in the inning and Gustavus took a 3-1 lead.
The Falcons were able to pull within one in the bottom of the fourth but the Gusties built on their lead in the sixth. Ashley Beise (Sr., Loretto, Minn) led off the inning with a double and scored on a Falcon throwing error. Neuenfeldt then doubled, followed by the second ground-rule double of the game for Freeman as Gustavus took a 5-2 advantage.
River Falls scored in the bottom of the sixth to pull the game within two, but the Gusties took it right back in the top of the seventh. Marissa Marsolek (So., Savage, Minn.) led off the inning with a hit, advanced to second on a groundout and third on a wild pitch before Beise drove her in with her second hit of the day.
The Falcons scored another run in the seventh but it wasn’t enough as the Gusties took home the 6-4 win.
Freeman got the start on the mound, going four innings, allowing just two hits and no earned runs and striking out three en rout to the win. Neuenfeldt finished the game’s final three innnings, allowing three hits, two earned runs, and striking out two.
Neuenfeldt, Freeman, Marsolek, Beise, and Kammerer all recorded two hits for the Gusties in the contest.
UW-Eau Claire 7 – 2 Gustavus
In game two the Blugolds got up early as defensive miscues doomed the Gusties.
The Blugolds got three runs in the first, one of which was an unearned run, tacked on two more runs in the third, both which were unearned, and then scored another unearned run in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead early. Eau Claire would score one more in the top of the sixth to go up 7-0 before the Gusties answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning. Kaylyn Leonard (Fy., Plymouth, Minn.) and Sydney Swenson (Fy., Chaska, Minn.) started a two-out rally with back-to-back singles before Beise brought home Leonard for the first run for the Black and Gold. Gustavus got one more in the bottom of the seventh when Neuenfeldt reached on an error and was brought home on the third ground-rule double on the day by Freeman.
Freeman suffered the loss in the contest on the mound as she allowed two earned runs in three innings of work. Neuenfeldt went the last four innings, allowing one earned run and just three hits.
The Gusties will now have over a week off before they travel to Tucson, Ariz. for their spring trip starting on March 14.