ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus College softball team battled the St. Catherine University Wildcats on Friday in a conference doubleheader. The Gusties swept the Wildcats 5-1, 2-1 to improve to 19-17 on the season and 12-8 in the MIAC.
Game One
St. Kate's jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, scoring a run in the bottom of the first inning. The score remained static until the sixth inning, where Gustavus took control.
With two outs and no one on base in the top of the sixth,
Carly Olson drew a walk to get a runner on and
Madison Westover reached on a fielding error at third base. Now with two runners on and two out,
Hailey Petzel stepped to the plate and, on a 1-1 count, launched the ball high up and over the wall in center for a home run to plate three runs for the Gusties.
Gustavus scored twice more in the sixth.
Olivia Guggenberger hit a double with the first pitch she saw and then came home to score on an RBI single by
Taylor Katzenmeyer. After a pitching change and a
Sarah Lambert walk,
Caitlin Olafsson drove in the fifth run of the inning with an RBI single.
Ava Hamsund earned the win in the circle for the Gusties, pitching four innings in relief while allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out four and walking no one.
Game Two
In the second game of the doubleheader, Gustavus struck first.
Paige Gritzmaker gave the Gusties a 1-0 lead in the first inning with an RBI single that scored
Caitlin Olafsson from second.
The Wildcats responded with a solo shot in the second to tie the game, but Gritzmaker answered the call again in the third with an RBI double to drive in Olafsson from third, giving Gustavus a 2-1 lead.
Maizie Anderson did the rest from the circle, shutting out St. Kate's in 5.2 innings of relief work to earn the win. The senior held the Wildcats to just three hits while striking out seven.
Up Next
Gustavus will return home for their regular season finale and senior day as they face the Bethel University Royals in a MIAC doubleheader on Saturday, May 2 starting at 1:00 p.m.
