ROCHESTER, Minn. — The Gustavus softball team settled for a split in its first two games of the Rochester Dome Tournament, each lopsided in their own way. The Gusties started the day with a dominant 12-0 victory over North Central for their first win of the season, followed by a 8-0 loss to Luther to wrap up Saturday competition.
Gustavus 12, North Central 0
The Gusties entered Saturday afternoon's game against North Central still looking for their first win of the season – and they got it in impressive fashion. The Gusties rolled to a 12-0 victory over the Rams, thanks to the one-two punch of
Piper Otto (Jr., Brooklyn Park) on the mound and the hitting efforts of the first-year Gusties.
Otto threw a five inning no-hitter, earning 12 strikeouts on 15 at bats. The Gusties' bats were alive and well against the Rams, scoring 12 runs on 15 hits.
Lauren Lambert (Fy., Woodbury),
Caitlin Olafsson (Fy., Woodbury), and
Ashlyn Pickens (Fy., New Prague) all went 2-for-3 and led the Gusties from the plate.
The Gusties picked up seven runs in the bottom of the second, thanks large in part to the efforts of first-year
Olivia Guggenberger (Rosemount), who went 2-for-2 with two singles, a stolen base, a run, and two RBIs.
The Gusties added five more runs in the bottom of the third, with Lambert,
Kayla Herda (So., Farmington), Olafsson, and
Kayla Ruud (Sr., Savage) picking up their second run of the day.
Gustavus 0, Luther 8
Any momentum from their earlier game was silenced by the Norse, as the Gusties were shutout by Luther College pitcher Kendra Cooper in six innings. Ruud, Herda, and Olafsson accounted for the Gusties' three hits in 19 at bats.
Chloe Smallfield (So., Papillion, Neb.) and
Maizie Anderson (Fy., Rosemount) split time on the mound, with Anderson starting the game, and Smallfield serving as relief after the sixth inning home run.
Luther was red-hot at the plate in the sixth, scoring seven runs on four hits off Anderson, including a 3-run home run off Luther's Abby Spore that shifted the energy of the 1-0 game in favor of Luther.
The Gusties are back at the Rochester tournament Sunday, facing UW-Eau Claire at noon followed by UW-La Crosse at 4 p.m.
