Notables:
-CSS recognized three seniors during the pair of games
-Saints scored multiple runs in every inning of game two
-Mizera extends hitting streak to eight games
-Bremer hits first collegiate outdoor home run to leadoff game two
DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) - The St. Scholastica softball team collected two Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) wins on Tuesday afternoon when it took on Northland College. The Saints handled the LumberJills with ease, winning 8-0 in game one and 18-5 in game two.
Game 1: CSS 8, NC 0 (F/6)
The Saints took an early lead in game one with three runs in the first inning, then another four-run rally in the final inning helped push them to the 8-0 victory over the LumberJills.
The productive first inning for CSS began with an Alexa Bremer (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS) lead off single, followed by a bunt from Olivia Bretting (Ashland, Wis. /Ashland HS ) to put runners on first and second. The next at bat was an infield fly, an automatic out to the batter, but Bremer's heads-up baserunning was rewarded when she was able to advance to third when the first basemen dropped the fly ball. Chrisi Mizera (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East HS) reached on an error in her at bat and Bremer was able to score on the error for the first run of the game. A throwing error on the play by the short stop advanced Mizera to second base, and pushed Bretting home to make the score 2-0. A single from Maggie Schley (Mounds View, Minn./Irondale HS) put runners on the corners, and another error from the LumberJills on a ball put in play by Marjaana Dailey (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) allowed Mizera to score for the final run of the inning.
St. Scholastica earned another run in the bottom of the second. Bremer led off once more and recorded a single. She then stole second to set herself up for Bretting, who advanced Bremer to third on a ground ball to first base. Hannah Borgeson (Woodville, Wis./Baldwin-Woodville HS) laid down a sacrifice bunt for the RBI that made the score 4-0.
Three and a half innings passed with no scoring from either team. Northland got close with two hits in the top of the sixth, but ended up leaving both runners on base after being shutdown by the Saints defense. CSS rallied in the bottom of the sixth and earned four runs. Cindi Rydlund (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) walked as the lead off batter, then advanced to second on a hit from Bremer, her third of the game. Another bunt for a hit by Bretting loaded the bases. Borgeson stepped up to the plate and collected three RBIs on her double to center field. She was able to advance to third on a throwing error on the play, which put her in position to score when Mizera singled to left field on the next at bat. This pushed the score to 8-0 in favor of the Saints, and ended the game early due to the eight-run rule.
Mizera pitched the full six innings for CSS, allowing only five hits and earning seven strikeouts. Bremer went 3-for-4, scoring every time she got on base during the game. Borgeson pulled in four RBIs for the second time this season, with three of them coming on a single hit.
Game 2: CSS 18, NC 5 (F/5)
In game two, CSS got the bats going even more than it had in game one, scoring at least three runs in every inning to earn the 18-5 victory.
Bremer kept her hot bat going in game two, and led off with a home to make the score 1-0 after just a single at bat. Back-to-back doubles from Borgeson and Mizera gave the Saints another run. Mizera advanced to third on a wild pitch, then used a single from Schley to cross home plate for the third and final run of inning one.
The Saints put up six more runs in the second inning. A triple from Bremer put a runner in scoring position to start the inning. Bretting grounded out but earned an RBI on the play, followed by a double from Borgeson. A single from Mizera advanced Borgeson to third, who then scored on a single from Schley. A throwing error on the play advanced Vanessa Kohl (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS), pinch runner for Mizera, to third, and allowed Schley to get to second. Schley and Kohl both made it home on a double from Jena O'Byrne (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville HS) to put the Saints up 7-0. Lily Kagan (Anchorage, Alaska/Robert Service HS) reached on an error during her at bat, which also allowed O'Byrne to score. Rydlund singled to advance Kagan to third, then another fielding error by Northland pushed Kagan across the plate to make the score 9-0 to end the inning.
The third inning was an even split between the two clubs, with each team tallying three runs. Rydlund and Karissa Ratcliff (North Branch, Minn./North Branch HS) each recorded an RBI during the inning for the Saints, who used a Northland error to score the third run of the inning, making the score 12-3.
Northland managed two more runs in the top of the fourth inning, then gave up six to the bats of CSS in the bottom of the inning. Borgeson, Schley, Kagan, and Rydlund all collected RBIs during the inning, while Dailey collected two with a double through the left side. The Saints earned five hits in the fourth, and took advantage of two errors to make the score 18-5. The LumberJills saw no success in the top of the fifth, and the game ended in four and half innings.
Kohl pitched four full innings for CSS, earning five strikeouts against 22 batters faced. Heidi Shelton (Duluth, Minn./Proctor HS (St. Cloud Tech and CC)) stepped in for the final inning, where she allowed no runs, no hits, and collected a strikeout. Mizera and Schley both went 3-for-3 during the game with one RBI going to Mizera and three going to Schley. Rydlund went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and Borgeson earned an RBI, going 3-for-4 as well.
Up Next
The Saints (20-14, 13-1 UMAC) have their final conference games of the regular season on Saturday when they travel to St. Bonifacius to take on Crown College. The doubleheader is set to begin at 1 p.m.
