DULUTH, Minn. — The Gustavus softball team earned a split against St. Scholastica, falling to the Saints 3-0 in game one before winning by a lopsided 9-3 in the rematch. The Gusties are now 18-17 overall and 11-7 in the MIAC.
Gustavus 0, St. Scholastica 3 | BOX SCORE
The Gustie bats were silenced against St. Scholastica in game one, as the Saints scored single runs in the first, third, and fourth to get the eventual 3-0 win over the Gusties.
Piper Otto (Jr., Brooklyn Park) did her best to hold the Saints off, pitching the complete game and allowing three runs on nine hits. St. Scholastica pitcher Ashley Matejka was responsible for holding off the Gustie bats for all seven innings, and allowing only six hits in 25 at-bats.
Madi Mueller (Jr., North Mankato) led the charge from the plate, accounting for two of the Gusties’ six hits, while the other four came from Olivia Guggenberger (Fy., Rosemount), Kayla Ruud (Sr., Savage), Kate Murray (Sr., Chanhassen), and Caitlin Olafsson (Fy., Woodbury).
Gustavus 9, St. Scholastica 3 | BOX SCORE
Game two was anything but similar to the opener, as the two teams combined for 12 runs, including nine scored in the seventh inning, with the Gusties walking away with the lopsided victory for the MIAC split.
Lauren Lambert (Fy., Woodbury) scored a single run to get the Gusties on the board in the second, sending a home run to right center for the 1-0 lead. Gustavus tacked on two more in the fourth, as an RBI triple from Greta Dahlen (So., West Des Moines, Iowa) and an RBI groundout from Ruud plated two runs for the 3-0 advantage.
The Gusties came alive in the final inning, as Mueller led the charge with a single down the third base line. Kayla Herda (So., Farmington) walked, followed by a single from Olafsson to load the bases with one out. An RBI bunt from Shelby Ringwelski (So., Forest Lake) added the Gusties’ fourth and forced a pitching change. Lambert picked up another extra-base hit, getting three RBI off a double to left. Guggenberger followed in her footsteps with a double of her own to score Lambert. The Gusties’ final run came thanks to a Saint error in left field.
The Saints broke Maizie Anderson’s (Fy., Rosemount) shutout, scoring three in the bottom of the seventh comeback effort, but it wouldn’t be enough catch up, as the Gusties posted their 11th MIAC victory in the rematch.
Lambert was impressive in game two, going 4-for-4 with four RBI and two runs of her own. Mueller picked up two hits as well, finishing with four total on the day. Anderson picked up the win on the mound, tossing the complete game and allowing three runs on six hits.
The Gusties are back in action tomorrow, hosting Augsburg for a home double-header in Saint Peter.