In front of the home crowd for the first time this season, the Gustavus softball team extended its winning streak to four games by defeating Macalester 4-0 and 9-2 on Monday in St. Peter. Betsie Collins pitched extremely well in the first game as she recorded 11 strikeouts and allowed two hits. Rachael Click and Kelly Myers went 4-for-5 combined for six RBI in game two. Gustavus improved to 15-5 overall and 5-3 in the MIAC, while Macalester dropped to 6-14 overall and 1-7 in league play.
The opening contest began as a pitchers’ duel as Gustavus’ Betsie Collins and Macalester’s Olivia Abbott held both offenses to three combined hits in the first 3.5 innings. Rachael Click led off the bottom of the fourth inning with ground ball that went off Abbott’s foot, and ran out the play at first base. After Click stole second, Emily Klein laid down a bunt that was misplayed by the Scots, leading to Click scoring on the play. Leigh Weber, then, drove in Klein for the second run of the inning. The Gusties struck again in the fifth inning when Andrea Brown doubled to left center field that drove in Julie Mahre.
Dani Cattrysse capped off the Gustavus scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning when she hit her second home run of the season to left field, two feet inside the foul pole. Betsie Collins posted her fifth win of the season, while compiling the highest strikeout total by a single pitcher since April 28, 2007 when Joyce DeWitz struck out 11 batters against Saint Benedict. In addition to giving up two hits, Collins struck out the side in the third and seventh innings.
The Gustavus offense came alive in the second game of the doubleheader, as the team scored six runs in the first two innings. Click started a two-out Gustie rally in the first inning when she hit a solo home run to right center field in the first inning. Emily Wendorff and Kelly Myers delivered a RBI double and a RBI single, respectively, to finish the inning. Four consecutive Gustavus batters reached base in the second inning. Click hit a two RBI triple down the first baseline, scoring Mahre and Andrea Brown, to give the Gusties a 6-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth inning with Gustavus leading 9-0, Macalester put together its best rally of both contests when Alison Phillips hit a lead-off single. Ali Nystrom and Amanda Cagan singles combined with Katie Grudnowski reaching first after a Gustie error allowed the Scots to score two runs during the inning. However, Erin Truebenbach shut down the Macalester offense in the sixth and seventh innings to earn her fourth win of the season. Truebenbach scattered nine hits over seven innings, striking out five, and recording zero walks.
Gustavus continues its busy week with a doubleheader against Bethel on Tuesday at 4 p.m. in St. Peter.