MANKATO, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus College softball team battled the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Eagles and the University of Minnesota Morris Cougars on the road Saturday at the Bethany Invite. The Gusties earned two dominant wins, shutting out the Eagles 4-0 and run-ruling the Cougars 17-1 to improve to 3-3 overall this season.
Game One: UW-La Crosse
Maizie Anderson shut out UW-La Crosse to lead Gustavus to a 4-0 victory. The senior struck out 11 Eagles while allowing just three hits through seven innings in a dominant performance from the circle.
Hailey Petzel drove in a pair of runs in the top of the first inning for the Gusties with a two-RBI single down the left field line, providing Anderson all the run support she needed before the pitcher even set foot on the field.
Lauren Lambert drove in another run in the top of the second. With runners on second and third, the senior lined a single up the middle to put Gustavus up 3-0.
The Gusties scored once more in the top of the third. Petzel singled to right center to reach base and, with two outs, advanced to second on a passed ball.
Carly Olson then drove the ball to left center to drive in Petzel, putting Gustavus up 4-0.
The four-run lead was more than enough as Anderson shut out the Eagles' hitters to earn the complete-game shutout victory.
Game Two: Minnesota Morris
The Gusties's bats went to work against the Cougars, erupting for 18 hits to score 17 runs. Combined with another dominant pitching performance, Gustavus cruised to a 17-1 victory in just five innings of work.
Leading 1-0 after an RBI single from
Lauren Lambert in the first, the Gusties scored five runs in the top of the second to break the game open.
Taylor Katzenmeyer tripled to drive in two to kickstart the inning. Katzenmeyer scored one batter later on a Cougar fielding error. Lambert drove in another two runs later in the inning as the Gusties took a 6-0 lead.
The Cougars scored a run in the bottom of the second, but Gustavus retaliated with an eight-run top of the third. The Gusties had 13 plate appearances in that inning alone, getting seven hits and reaching base twice more on errors. The inning was highlighted by a two-run blast from
Madison Westover as the first year launched her first collegiate home run to put Gustavus up 14-0.
The Gusties added two more runs in the fourth as a double from Olson and a single from Petzel drove in a pair.
Caitlin Olafsson drove in the 17
th run in the top of the fifth with an RBI double down the left field line.
Gustavus had seven extra base hits in the game with four doubles, two triples, and a home run. The Gusties also struck out only once at the plate while drawing three walks.
In the circle,
Ava Hamsund earned the win for Gustavus, starting the game and striking out two in two innings.
Up Next
Gustavus returns to action on Sunday, February 22 with two more games in Mankato. The Gusties will take on the Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons at 10:30 a.m. and then the invitational hosts themselves in the Bethany Lutheran College Vikings at 3:30 p.m.
