MANKATO, Minn. — The Gustavus softball team came up empty on the final day of the Bethany Lutheran Kwik Trip Invite, falling to UW-Stout 1-0 and Buena Vista 4-3 on Sunday morning. Through two weekends of play under the MSU-Mankato dome, the Gusties are 4-4 to start the season.
Gustavus 0, UW-Stout 1
The Gusties and Blue Devils played nearly the whole game without a single run, as the pitchers dueled from the circle to keep their teams in the game. For the Gusties, it was
Maizie Anderson, who allowed only five hits in all seven innings. For the Blue Devils, the team of Anna Blanfor and Mackensie Wo, who also allowed just five hits off the bats of the Gusties.
The Blue Devils scored the only run of the game in the top of the seventh, as a single through the left side scored Stout's Stephanie Ku, who led off the inning with a double to center field. The Gusties, whose bats were alive and well the day before, didn't have the same luck at the plate in Sunday's opener.
Madi Mueller led the squad with two hits in three at-bats, while
Macy McNally,
Carly Olson, and
Kayla Herda each chipped in one to the total.
Gustavus 3, Buena Vista 4
The Gusties maintained their theme of close games in their second of the day, playing eight innings after a late BVU game-tying run. Gustavus scored one in the top of the eighth, but it ultimately wasn't enough, as Buena Vista got two in the bottom of the frame to end the game, 4-3.
Macy McNally started the Gustie scoring play in the top of the third, singling up the middle to get on base. McNally stole second, and
Caitlin Olafsson walked, putting two on base for
Lauren Lambert. Lambert doubled to left center, scoring McNally, and a
Carly Nelson ground-out to first scored Olafsson for a 2-0 Gustavus lead.
Buena Vista cut the deficit to one in the fourth, but the Gustie lead was erased in the bottom of the seventh as a single up the middle scored the game-tying run. McNally nearly called game, scoring
Olivia Guggenberger on a double to right center, but two runs on a hit and a sacrifice fly ended the game in favor of the Beavers.
McNally finished game two 2-for-4 at the plate with a run and an RBI, while Mueller, Lambert, and Guggenberger each had a hit in eight-inning loss.
Ava Hamsund pitched the complete game, allowing eight hits in 30 at-bats, striking out four batters in the process for her first loss of the season.
The Gusties aren't done in Mankato just yet, as they'll face Bethany Lutheran next weekend for a doubleheader.
