Written by Annika Weber, Sports Writing Student
SAINT PETER, Minn. — The Gustavus softball team swept Carleton in two low-scoring games Saturday afternoon, winning the first game 3-1 and winning the second 3-0. Gustavus closes out the regular season with a record of 22-18 and 16-6 in conference play.
Gustavus 3, Carleton 1
After a 1-1 start to the first inning, game one developed into a pitching duel as both teams worked to get a hit. Carleton's first inning sacrifice fly was the only run the Knights would see all day, as the Gustie pitching staff held Carleton scoreless for the remainder of the first game and all of the second.
Olivia Guggenberger started the Gusties' first inning scoring play off a single to right field. A
Kayla Herda single to third advanced Guggenberger, who later scored on a Carleton attempt to catch Herda stealing.
Kayla Herda kept the Gustie bats alive in the fourth inning. The junior hit a dribbler to second base, outrunning the throw to first. After stealing a base, and a sacrifice fly by
Caitlin Olafsson, Herda was ready to score at third. A hard hit single from
Lauren Lambert was all it took to get Herda home and give the Gusties the lead, 2-1.
The Gusties continued to hold Carleton scoreless as the game progressed into the bottom of the sixth where the bats, once again, heated up for Gustavus. Fueled by a line drive single from Lambert that just missed the second base glove,
Caitlin Olafsson scored the Gusties third and final run of the game.
Maizie Anderson pitched a complete seven inning game and picked up her 12th win of the season, striing out two batters in the process. Both Herda and Lambert totaled two hits in game one, with Guggenberger and
Izzy Reuvers accounting for the other two.
Gustavus 3, Carleton 0
Two runs in the bottom of the second set the tone early for the Gusties in game two. A dribbler through the Carleton pitcher's glove and through an infield gap sent
Madi Mueller to first base. An error by the Knights gave
Olivia Guggenberger advanced Mueller to third and Guggenberger to second, primed in scoring position with Herda up to bat. Herda hit a line drive that just skimmed the third base line, allowing Mueller and Guggenberger to score for the early lead.
The Gusties added one more run in the bottom of the fourth, as
Macy McNally led the inning off with a single to left center. A
Madi Mueller bunt moved McNally to third, who scored on a Guggenberger ground-out for the final run of the day.
The final three innings of game two were steered by pitching from both sides, as both pitchers kept their opponent scoreless for the remainder of the day. The Knights were shutout by Gustavus'
Ava Hamsund, who pitched a complete game, tallying five strikeouts over seven innings. Mueller added two hits on game two of her senior day, with Herda and McNally adding a pair as well.
The Gusties, who are seeded fifth in the MIAC standings after tiebreakers, will open playoffs at St. Olaf next Thursday for a quarterfinal matchup. The Oles and Gusties split the regular season doubleheader.
