Minneapolis – The Gustavus Adolphus softball team earned its second straight MIAC sweep by taking two games from Augsburg College on Friday at Edor Nelson Field. The Gusties cruised to a pair of eight-run victories, winning 8-0 in six innings in game one and completing the sweep with a 9-1 win in game two. Gustavus improves to 9-10 overall and 6-2 in the MIAC, while Augsburg is now 10-26 overall and 3-15 in the MIAC.
Game One Recap
The Gustie offense took little time putting runs on the scoreboard in game one. Shelby Nosan (So., Baudette, Minn.) led the game off with a solo home run to left field, and Kailey Morgan (So., Mound, Minn.) followed two batters later with a two-run bomb to left. With a 3-0 lead by that point, Kat Dahl (Jr., Luverne, Minn.) plated Sam Breneman (Sr., Sherburn, Minn.), who reached on a double to left center. Jessica Williams (Fy., Plymouth, Minn.) brought the inning’s scoring to a close with a one-run single up the middle to bring home Dahl and put the Black and Gold up 5-0.
After four complete scoreless innings, Gustavus tacked on three more runs in the top of the sixth to bring the game to a final at 8-0. Kate Rentschler (Sr., Lakefield, Minn.) brought in all three runs on her own with a home run to left field. She finished finished 2-for-4 with one run and three RBI. Of Gustavus’s 11 hits in the game, four were extra base hits, and three of those were home runs.
Jessica Williams went all six innings to pick up the first victory of her collegiate career. Williams allowed just three hits while registering two strikeouts. The rookie kept her infield busy as 12 of her 16 outs came on ground balls. Williams’s counterpart, Amanda Eaton, suffered the loss after giving up three runs on three hits in the first inning.
Game Two Recap
It was Augsburg jumping out to an early lead in game two when Bri Dorale scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the first inning.
It took until the top of the fourth inning before Gustavus could solve the Auggie pitching staff. Because Kaitlyn Bicek (So., Mound, Minn.) was hit by a pitch, Brittany Brenke (Jr., Le Sueur, Minn.) scored to tie the game at 1-1. Sarah Rozell (So., Lakeville, Minn.) later scored on a error by the shortstop and Gustavus took a 2-1 advantage.
The lead would be all starter Kate Rentschler needed from that point on. The senior picked up the victory to improve to 4-6 after allowing just two hits over the remaining four innings. Rentschler allowed four hits in her six innings of work and much like Williams in game one, kept her infield busy by recording 14 ground outs. Augsburg’s Olivia Boerschinger suffered the loss after giving up two runs on two hits.
Gustavus went on to add two runs on one hit in the sixth inning and five runs on two hits in the seventh.
Four different Gustavus players combined for five hits in the game. Brenke led the way with a 2-for-2 game, while Paige Breneman (So., Sherburn, Minn.) went 1-for-2 with two runs. Carly Klass was 1-for-2 with a double, a run, and two RBI, and Williams finished 1-for-1 with a double, a run, and a RBI.
The Gustavus softball team will begin a six-game home stand tomorrow afternoon when it takes on Saint Mary’s in a doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. The Gusties and Cardinals will square off in the first games of the season on the Gustie Softball Field.