SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus softball team played its first of four MIAC series for the week on Tuesday, April 8, dropping both game to the Cardinals, ranked No. 22 in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) national poll. The Gusties (12-10, 2-2 MIAC), who have three more conference doubleheaders on the schedule this week, were held to a combined 10 hits by the Saint Mary's pitching staff, falling by scores of 2-0 and 5-2.
Gustavus 0, Saint Mary's 2
A pair of Winona-native sophomore pitchers dueled in the circle to start, as
Ava Hamsund (So., Winona, Minn.) and Cardinal pitcher Mikayla Steffes each entered game one having pitched a shutout in their last appearance. Hamsund held the No. 22 Cardinals scoreless through the first three innings, but Saint Mary's scored solo runs in each of the fourth and fifth frames to break the lefty's streak.
SMU scored in the fourth on an RBI single and the fifth on a well-placed bunt, preceded by a hard-hit triple to right field.
The Gusties stranded four on base and went 0-for-3 with players in scoring position.
Hamsund, in her second consecutive complete-game performance, allowed two earned runs off seven hits and struck out three batters while allowing just one free pass (a wild pitch).
Greta Dahlen (Sr., West Des Moines, Iowa),
Caitlin Olafsson (Jr., Woodbury, Minn.), and
Macy McNally (So., Winona, Minn.) accounted for the three Gustie hits.
Gustavus 2, Saint Mary's 5
Maizie Anderson (Jr., Rosemount, Minn.) and SMU pitcher Gatz kept game two another low-scoring affair for the first six innings, until Saint Mary's pulled away with three in their final frame of at-bats.
The Cardinals opened the scoring with a long sacrifice fly in the second inning of game two, but the Gusties evened the score one inning later on a Dahlen RBI single to center, which scored
Olivia Guggenberger (Jr., Rosemount, Minn.).
An infield error scored the Cardinal pitcher Gatz, who finished 3-for-3 at the plate – in addition to her near-complete game victory – to regain the lead for Saint Mary's. SMU (21-3, 8-0 MIAC) scored three more late in the seventh off a costly error and four hits.
Kayla Herda (Sr., Farmington, Minn.) drove in the final Gustie run of the day in a late comeback effort that featured three singles in four at-bats, but two runners were stranded in scoring position to end the game.
Dahlen, Olafsson, Herda,
Carly Olson (So., Luverne, Minn.), and
Katelyn Kasper (Jr., Corcoran, Minn.) accounted for the Gustie hits, with Herda leading the squad at 2-for-4 with an RBI in the second game.
Anderson finished allowing five runs, four earned, in 6.1 innings of work, while
Megan Sherwood (So., Greenfield, Minn.) collected the last two Gustie outs, thanks largely to a throw from right field from Dahlen that tagged a runner out at home.
Gustavus (12-10, 2-2 MIAC) has a quick turnaround to its second MIAC doubleheader in as many days, hosting Hamline (10-10, 0-2 MIAC), tomorrow, April 9, for a 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. doubleheader at the Gustie Softball Field.
