NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The Gustavus softball team earned its third consecutive MIAC series split Saturday, winning game one at St. Olaf 7-6 before falling 10-2 in the rematch. The Gusties move to 19-17 overall and 13-5 in the MIAC heading into their final two series of the regular season.
Gustavus 7, St. Olaf 6
A five-run first inning was the difference maker in game one of the doubleheader, as the early lead and 11 hits propelled the Gusties to victory.
Madi Mueller set the tone early, leading the game off with a solo home run to left field. A
Carly Olson double to left field scored the next Gustie run, bringing in
Kayla Herda, who reached on a fielder's choice.
Lauren Lambert singled to left to score
Caitlin Olafsson, while a fielder's choice and error scored Olson, and a
Greta Dahlen ground-out scored Lambert for the fifth run of the first inning.
St. Olaf got one back in the second, scoring on a solo shot to left to cut the lead to four. The Gusties responded, though, as Olson doubled to left once more in the third, scoring Olafsson, who walked to start the inning. The Oles scored three in the bottom of the third on a two-RBI double and a wild pitch to bring the score to 6-4. The home team tacked on another one in the bottom of the fifth with the game's third left field home run.
Olson picked up her third RBI double, which proved to be the game-winning play, in the sixth inning, as the first-year scored
Olivia Guggenberger who singled to left center in her at-bat. St. Olaf scored another solo home run in the bottom of the sixth, but the comeback effort was too little, too late, giving the Gusties their 13th MIAC win of the season.
Olson finished 3-for-4 with three RBI doubles. Dahlen also chipped in three hits to the team's total 11.
Maizie Anderson picked up the win, pitching four innings, allowing four earned runs off five hits.
Megan Sherwood was able to ensure that the early Gustie lead held, earning her first career save in the circle for the Gusties.
Gustavus 2, St. Olaf 10
Much like the Gusties had in game one, the Oles used a five-run inning of their own to steal a win and earn the series split. St. Olaf scored at least one run in every inning but the third, picking up 13 hits off the Gusties.
St. Olaf scored one in the first off an RBI single, to which the Gusties responded in the second, evening the score 1-1 off a Dahlen RBI double to right center. The Oles added another home run to the tally in the second, this time a two-run shot to right center to take a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second.
The Gusties added what turned out to be their last run of the day in the third, as a Herda ground-out scored
Madi Mueller, who singled to get on base. St. Olaf scored another in the fourth off an RBI single to right. The Gusties had a chance to make a serious dent in the Ole lead in the fifth, but left the bases loaded after back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
The home team ended game two in six innings, scoring one in the fifth off a solo shot to right center, before adding five in the sixth. St. Olaf scored on a trio of RBI doubles and an RBI single up the middle to end the game.
Dahlen once again chipped in a multi-hit performance, going 2-for-3 with an RBI, while six other Gusties accounted for the remainder of the hits.
Ava Hamsund was credited with the loss, allowing six earned runs of nine hits in five innings of work.
After six on the road, the Gusties are back home for a major MIAC matchup on Tuesday, hosting conference-leading Saint Benedict at the Gustie Softball Field.
