WHITTIER. Calif. – The Gustavus Adolphus College softball team battled the Whittier College Poets and the University of La Verne Leopards on Monday in their first two games of their spring break trip to California. The Gusties swept the day, rallying late to defeat the Poets 7-6 and then shutting out the Leopards 4-0 to improve to 5-5 overall this season.
Game One: Whittier Poets
In the opening game of the day, the Gusties took a two-run lead in the top of the third inning.
Lauren Lambert drove in the first run of the day with a double to left center and
Hailey Petzel followed right after with an RBI single to left as Gustavus went up 2-0.
Whittier responded with four runs in the bottom half of the same inning as the first four batters of the inning went single, double, double, home run.
The Gusties tied the game in the top of the fourth inning. With runners on second and third,
Olivia Guggenberger drove in both with an RBI single down the left field line to tie the game 4-4.
The Poets retook the lead in the bottom of the fourth after a leadoff triple was followed with an RBI single. In the fifth, Whittier scored again to go up 6-4.
In the sixth, Gustavus rallied with a three-run inning to take the lead. Lambert led off the inning with a triple and then scored on a sac fly by Guggenberger.
Caitlin Olafsson then shot an 0-2 pitch to right center for a double, and two batters later tied the game at 6-6 as Petzel drove her home with an RBI single to center. Petzel advanced to second on the throw, which proved critical as
Madison Westover then drove in what would be the game-winning run with a single up the middle to give the Gusties a 7-6 lead.
Petzel closed out the final two innings to earn the win in the circle for Gustavus. The sophomore pitched five innings in relief, allowing just two runs while striking out four. At the plate, Petzel went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs.
Game Two: La Verne Leopards
In the second game of the day, the Gusties jumped the Leopards with a four-run first inning. Olafsson launched a lead-off home run to center, her second of the year, to take a 1-0 lead for Gustavus on one swing.
Later in the first with two outs and runners on second and third,
Madison Westover hit a three-run bomb down the left field line to put the Gusties up 4-0 just six batters into the game. The homer was Westover's second of the season.
The rest of the game was defined by pitching as
Ava Hamsund threw a complete game gem for Gustavus. The junior shut out La Verne while allowing just two hits and striking out three in a seven stellar innings of work.
Up Next
Gustavus will take on the No. 4 nationally ranked University of Redlands Bulldogs in a doubleheader on Tuesday, March 3 starting at 12:00 p.m. local time on the west coast and 2:00 p.m. in Minnesota for fans that want to follow the game live.
