PREVIEW: Softball has Home Opener this Weekend

4/9/2014 4:29:00 PM | By: Nathan Carlson

• Share:

DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica softball team will have its home opener this weekend when it hosts four opponents. However, the games will not be played at snow-covered Kenwood Field, but on the turf of Saints Field.

Game Schedule:
Friday
11 a.m. - Martin Luther vs. Northland (DH)
3 p.m. - Bethany Lutheran vs. St. Scholastica (DH)
Saturday
Noon - Martin Luther vs. St. Scholastica (DH) - Postponed due to Forecast
4 p.m. - Bethany Lutheran vs. Northland (DH) - Postponed due to Forecast
Sunday
12 p.m. - Northland vs. St. Scholastica
2 p.m. - St. Scholastica vs. Saint Benedict
4 p.m. - Saint Benedict vs. Northland

Game Day Media:

-The Knights went 2-2 at the UMAC Crossover with wins over North Central and Northwestern, and losses against Northland and the Saints.
-The Knights have four players with 10 or more RBIs on the season. Andrea Biedenbender leads the team with 17, followed by Sara Willems with 15, MacCartney Mendolla with 12, and Emily Waldek with 11.
-Those same four players have combined to hit all eight of the team's home runs on the season. Willems leads the team with three, followed by Waldek and Mendolla with two, and Biedenbender has one.
-Martin Luther has two pitchers with four wins on the year as Kelli Doell has a 4-2 record with a 5.55 ERA, with Kathryn Marquardt having a 4-3 record and a 5.72 ERA.

-The Blazers are coming off a doubleheader against the 17th ranked St. Thomas that resulted in a split with the Blazers winning the first game 2-1 and losing the second by a score of 6-0.
-Saint Benedict has already played a UMAC opponent this season and that was Minnesota Morris in a doubleheader back on March 21st. The Blazers would sweep with wins of 8-0 and 9-0 with both games ending after five innings.
-Those wins against the Cougars would be the final two wins of a nine-game winning streak that the Blazers had earlier this season.
-The Blazers have six players with 10 or more RBIs on the season and seven players with a home run.
-Lexi Alm is the top offensive player with a .421 batting average and a team best 17 RBIs. She also has two home runs this season.
-Mackenzie Wenner and Maddie Lenker have the most home runs on the team with three apiece.
-The Blazers' pitching has been very strong this season. Emily Engelmeier is undefeated with a 10-0 record and a 1.75 ERA as well as 50 strikeouts. Rachel Nelson is 7-6 with a 2.78 ERA as well as 65 strikeouts and only five walks.