SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Gustavus softball team was back in action, hitting the road for a double-header against Northwestern. The 11-4 and 10-6 wins put the Gusties 5-3 overall.
“I’m so proud of how we hit the ball today,” said Head Coach Coley Ries. “In the past couple outings we would scrape a run across here or there but we weren’t putting together the big inning. Today we accomplished that multiple times.”
Gustavus 11, Northwestern 4 | BOX SCORE
The Gusties had a hot start in the top of the first inning. The team used the Eagles errors to find opportunities when Madelyn Mueller (Fy., North Mankato) came in on an error by the third baseman. A fly out to right field from Piper Otto (Fy., Brooklyn Park) also scored Ashley Neunfeldt (Sr., Bloomington) before closing out the first inning.
The Eagles were able to cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth inning from a single and tallied three more runs to take over the lead 4-2.
In the top of the fifth, Neunfeldt’s double brought in Meuller to score and Neunfeldt stealing home tied it up in the top of the fifth. Kate Murray (So., Minnetonka) walked to get on base and a double from Kaylyn Leonard (Jr., Plymouth) scored Otto, Murray, and Payton Belt (Fy., Indianola, Iowa) for the Gusties finish the fifth inning with a 7-4 lead.
A double from Allie Skuza (So., Princeton) and a single from Amanda Markert (So., Shakopee) scored Otto and Skuza for eighth and ninth runs to stay ahead 9-4 in the top of the sixth. In the top of the seventh Taylor Braun (Fy., Cologne) singled it up, followed by an error from a centerfielder on Mueller’s hit to get on third, and was able to come in on a run from a passed ball for the Gusties to make it a 10 run game. Alex Concepcion (Fy., Evergreen, Colo.) hit a single to score Mueller for the final run in the 11-4 win.
Neunfeldt faced 27 batters in six innings pitched and Amara Packey (Jr., Fridley) faced three as the closer.
“Every time Northwestern scored some runs we came and got them back right away,” said Ries “That’s the kind of fight I want to see out of us.”
Gustavus 10, Northwestern 6 | BOX SCORE
Gustavus was looking to keep their bats hot in the second outing of the day but Northwestern got on the board first with a two run lead in the bottom of the third. In the top of the fourth, Otto cut the deficit in half on an error and after Allie Skuza made it on base from an error and Mackenzie Skuza (Jr.., Princeton) came in on the run to tie the game up. A single from Braun scored Leonard and Allie Skuza for the Gusties to take a 4-2 lead.
The Eagles looked for redemption tacking on three runs in the bottom of the fourth to take back the lead, but Isabel Reuvers (Fy., Medford) scored on an error by the third baseman to tie it back up. Leonord’s fly out to left field brought in Allie Skuza for the 5-4 Gustie lead. A single from Belt scored Murray for the seventh run. Mueller scored on an error followed by Otto’s single to score Neuenfeldt. Otto was able to bring the score up to double-digits. Northwestern responded with one more run before the last inning. Both teams stayed strong defensively in the seventh for Gustavus to finish on top and take a sweep in the 10-6 final.
Otto faced 15 batters in three innings, Belt faced 16 batters in three innings, and Packey closed in the final inning facing three batters.
“It was great to walk away with our first sweep. This is a fun group and it’s been so awesome to see the improvements we continue to make.”
The team will open their season at home when they host Hamline for a double-header on April 3rd at 1 p.m..