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MANKATO, Minn. – The St. Scholastica softball team defeated the University of Minnesota-Morris 9-1 and Northland College 7-4 today to advance to the championship game of the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Postseason Tournament tomorrow.

In the opening round game against Minnesota-Morris, #Kayla Jenkins# (So.-Esko, Minn.) struck out nine in five innings and #Theresa Tauer# (Fr.-Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and finished with six RBIs as the Saints went on to win 9-1.

The Cougars struck first with an unearned run in the top of the first, but CSS responded when #Kristin Swartz# (Jr.-Hermantown, Minn.) scored on a groundout to tie the game at 1-1 entering the second. Theresa Tauer (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) gave the Saints the lead for good in the bottom of the third with a solo home run to center. Two batters later, #Merryssa Tiedeman# (Fr.-Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazeppa) singled home #Brynn Wollak# (Fr.-Hugo, Minn./Stillwater) to make it 3-1.

After three straight singles loaded the bases to begin the fourth, #Michaela Carlson# (Jr.-Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson) drew a walk to force in a run. Theresa Tauer (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) then hit a grand slam home run to extend the lead to 8-1. #Jena Dieryck# (Fr.-Esko, Minn./Duluth Denfeld) added a RBI-single later in the inning as the Saints advanced to face Northland College with a 9-1 victory.

Against the LumberJills, for a chance to advance to the championship game tomorrow, CSS got a pair of three-run home runs on its way to a 7-4 victory.

Northland would get a solo home run in the top of the first to take an early 1-0 lead. When the Saints got their chance to bat in the bottom half, Theresa Tauer (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) had a RBI-single and then Brynn Wollak (Hugo, Minn./Stillwater Area) followed with a three-run home run to give CSS a 4-1 lead after the first.

The LumberJills got a pair of unearned runs in the third to cut the margin down to 4-3. The Saints then gave themselves insurance in the bottom of the fifth when Merryssa Tiedeman (Zumbrota, Minn/Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS) hit a three-run home run to right to extend the lead to 7-3.

Northland scored another unearned run in the sixth to make the score 7-4, but that is as close as they would get as #Jenn Falk# (So.-Altona, Man.) retired the side in the seventh to give the Saints a 7-4 victory. Falk went the distance as she struck out 10, allowed five hits, and just one earned run.

The Saints, who improve to 30-12 on the year, will now play the winner of Northwestern College and Northland College at noon tomorrow. If the Saints were to lose at noon, the two teams would play again immediately following the game in a winner-take-all game. All of action will take place at Caswell Park in Mankato, Minn.