MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Gustavus softball team Thursday earned a road sweep at Concordia, winning an 11-inning pitcher’s duel in game one, 3-0, and then grabbing a convincing 9-1, five-inning victory in the nightcap. The Gusties improve to 11-15 overall and 6-6 in the MIAC, while the Cobbers drop to 6-16 overall and 0-8 in the MIAC.
Gustavus 3, Concordia 0 (11 inn.) | BOX SCORE
Game one featured a pitcher’s dual between Gustavus’s Piper Otto (So., Brooklyn Park) and Concordia’s Megan Gavin. Both pitched the complete 11 innings, but it was the Gusties that came out on top after 10 scoreless innings.
With Kate Murray (Jr., Minnetonka) starting the 11th on second base, Isabel Reuvers (So., Medford) hit a bunt single advancing Murray to third. Kayla Herda (Fy., Farmington) then singled to center to score Murray. Madelyn Mueller (So., North Mankato) followed with a fielder’s choice as Herda went to second and Reuvers scored. Rachel Kawiecki (Fy., Richfield) later reached on an error, allowing Herda to score the third run of the inning.
Otto continued her hot streak of pitching in the bottom of the 11th with a three-up-three-down inning to complete the shutout. Otto faced 40 batters with 15 fly outs, eight ground outs, 10 strikeouts, and zero walks.
Kawiecki and Reuvers led the offense. Kawiecki hit 2-for-5 with an RBI, double, and a stolen base while Reuvers hit 2-for-4 with a run, double, and stolen base.
Gustavus 9, Concordia 1 (5 inn.) | BOX SCORE
Concordia gained an early 1-0 lead in the first inning with a solo home run, but the Gusties immediately answered in the second with a run. Mueller doubled to score Murray, who started the inning with a walk.
Gustavus scored what proved to be the game-winning run in the third as Kayla Ruud (Jr., Savage) singled and later scored on an error. The Gusties blew the game open in the fourth with seven runs on five hits and an error, highlighted by a three-run double off the bat of Herda. Mueller also had an RBI triple in the frame.
Mueller led the offense, batting 3-for-4 with a run, two RBI, a double, and a triple. Chloe Smallfield (Fy., Papillion, Neb.) earned the victory after three innings. She allowed one run on one hit with a strikeout. Payton Belt (So., Indianola, Iowa) finished the final two frames without allowing a run on one hit and one strikeout.
Gustavus hosts Hamline on Saturday.