MANKATO, Minn. — The Gustavus softball team went 1-1 once more to end the first weekend of the Bethany Lutheran Kwik Trip Invitational. The Gusties opened Sunday's games with a 5-2 loss against Nebraska Wesleyan, but bounced back in a big way against North Central University, winning 10-2 to start the season 2-2 in their opening weekend.
Gustavus 2, Nebraska Wesleyan 5
Two runs in the first inning were all that the Gusties could muster against the Prairie Wolves, who rattled off five in the following three innings to deal the Gusties their second loss of the season.
After two quick outs in the first two at-bats of the game,
Caitlin Olafsson stepped up to the challenge, and sent a single through the left side. A
Lauren Lambert single up the middle advanced Olafsson, followed by both runners advancing on a wild pitch. First-year
Carly Olson brought the two sophomores home, picking up two RBI on a single of her own for the opening 2-0 score.
Nebraska Wesleyan got one back in the bottom of the second, scoring a solo home run off
Maizie Anderson. The Prairie Wolves tacked on two more in the third, loading the bases and scoring two runs on two singles. Anderson kept the lead to just one through three with a strike out to end the inning with three left on base. The Prairie Wolves closed out the game's offense with two runs in the fourth off a Gustie fielding error.
Olson led the way against NWU, going 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI, while Olafsson, Lambert, and
Macy McNally accounted for the other three Gustie hits. Anderson, who picked up her first win of the season against UW-La Crosse the day before, started the Gusties off in the circle, allowing three runs on four hits in the first three innings.
Ava Hamsund, in three innings of relief, allowed just three hits off the 12 batters she saw, getting a pair of strikeouts in the process.
Gustavus 10, North Central 2
An eight-run first inning led the Gusties to victory over North Central, picking up their second win of the season in five innings.
The Gusties worked through their entire lineup in the first, getting six hits and capitalizing on four errors from the Rams.
Caitlin Olafsson brought in the first of many runs, sending a double to left field to score
Madi Mueller, who opened the game hit by a pitch at the plate. A double from
Carly Nelson scored both Olafsson and
Macy McNally for a 3-0 advantage for the Gusties – and that was just the start.
A single from
Carly Olson to right center scored Nelson, followed by RBI singles from
Taylor Katzenmeyer and
Kayla Herda for a 7-0 score. A throwing error by the Rams brought Herda home to end the inning with a commanding 8-0 lead.
The Rams cut the lead to six in the fourth, but it wasn't nearly enough to beat down the heavy hitting Gusties, who scored two more in the fifth for the 10-2 final in five innings.
Nine Gusties accounted for the team's 10 hits, led by Nelson who went 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI.
Ava Hamsund led the Gusties off in the circle, allowing one hit and two runs in 12 at-bats. Hamsund picked up seven strikeouts in four innings, before
Megan Sherwood wrapped up the game with a zero-hit fifth.
The Gusties are back in Mankato next Friday and Saturday for the second weekend of the invite under the dome hosted by Bethany Lutheran.
