TUCSON, Ariz. – The Gustavus softball team was back in action Sunday after a day off and dropped their first contest with Central 3-1 before defeating UW-Platteville 7-6. With today’s results Gustavus’ record moves to 7-5.
Game one was a pitchers duel that saw the Dutch come out on top thanks to timely hitting and a few Gustie miscues. Ashley Neuenfeldt (So., Bloomington, Minn.) started on the mound for Gustavus and had a strong outing going six innings, allowing one earned run on four hits and striking out six in the loss.
Central took the early lead in the second when they had two players reach on errors who were later driven in by a timely two-out single to put the home team ahead 2-0.
The Dutch notched one more run in the third inning when the lead-off hitter doubled, was bunted over to third, and then squeezed in, to put Central up 3-0.
Emily Carlson (Jr., Burnsville, Minn.), Caitlin Kammerer, (Jr., Watertown, Minn.) and Neuenfeldt started the sixth inning with three straight hits and Carlson scoring on Neuenfeldt’s single but one run was the all the Gusties could muster. The Gusties went down 1-2-3 in the seventh as the Dutch took home the win.
The Gusties outhit the Dutch 6-4 in the contest with six different members of the Black and Gold notching a hit.
In game number two Gustavus used a come from behind effort to take down UW-Platteville. After the Pioneers put up three runs in the top of the first the Gusties responded in the bottom half with three of their own. Carlson and Kammerer were walked and beaned to start the inning before Ashley Beise (Sr., Loretto, Minn.) drove in the first run of the game scoring Carlson. Kenzie Skuza (Fy., Princeton, Minn.) stepped up to the plate with two outs in the inning and hit a two-run home run, her second of the trip to even the score at 3-3.
Platteville was able to extend their lead back to three by scoring two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth before Gustavus responded again. Carlson walked, advanced on an error, and was later driven in by Neuenfeldt to trim the Pioneer lead to 6-4. In the sixth, Aly Freeman (Jr., Omaha, Neb.) and Sydney Swenson (Fy., Chaska, Minn.) singled to start the inning and after a sacrifice bunt and strikeout, Carlson came up big with a two-out two RBI single to even things at sixth. Kammerer then followed that with a two out triple to give the Gusties the lead. Neuenfeldt came in and shut the door setting the Pioneers down in order to notch a save and give the Gusties a win.
Amara Packey (Fy., Fridley, Minn.) received her first collegiate victory on the mound, pitching two innings and allowing one run on three hits.
Neuenfeldt and Swenson both recorded two hits in the contest and Carlson scored three times to lead the offense.
Gustavus is back in action Monday as it finishes its trip with two 11 a.m. MST and 1:30 p.m. MST.