Notables
-North Central has yet to win a game this season
-First double-digit scores of the season for CSS
-Dailey and Underwood hit Saints' first home runs of the season
-CSS sets program record with five triples in game two
-CSS outhit NCU 17-1 and 26-4 in game one and two, respectively

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (csssaints.com) - The St. Scholastica softball team took early control in the opening Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) contest on Wednesday in a doubleheader against North Central University (Minn.). The Saints scored 48 total runs between the two games for the sweep.

Game 1: CSS 16, NCU 0 (F/5)
The Saints earned a 16-0 shutout in five innings for game one, with the only hit of the game for the Rams coming in the final inning. 

The first runs for the Saints came right away in the first inning, with RBIs being credited to Marjaana Dailey (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) and Chrisi Mizera (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East HS) to earn two runs for CSS. To make the score 3-0 in the second inning, Olivia Bretting (Ashland, Wis. /Ashland HS ) advanced Alexa Bremer (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS) across home plate on a sacrifice bunt.

The third inning was a big one for the Saints, collecting a total of six runs, thanks in part to some defensive difficulties from the Rams. Mizera managed to score after a ball, put into play by Jena O'Byrne (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville HS), was misplayed by the third baseman. That error allowed O'Byrne to advance to second, followed by a wild pitch that pushed O'Byrne to third. The catcher then committed a throwing error, which allowed the second run of the inning to score. Two singles by Toni Bishop (Roseville, Minn./Roseville HS) and Dakota Underwood (Anchorage, Alaska/South Anchorage HS) put runners on base again for the Saints. Another wild pitch by the Rams scored Bishop and advanced Underwood to third. Bremer singled through the left side on the next at bat to score Underwood. An RBI double from Hannah Borgeson (Woodville, Wis./Baldwin-Woodville HS) and a RBI single from Dailey finished off the last two runs of the inning to make the score 9-0.

Six more runs came for CSS in the fourth. A double from Underwood got two runners across the plate, then Carley Moisio (Hoyt Lakes, Minn./Mesabi East HS) collected an RBI of her own on a ground ball out to first base that allowed Underwood to score. A wild pitch continued the bad luck for the Rams, when Borgeson and Karissa Ratcliff (North Branch, Minn./North Branch HS) capitalized on the loose ball to score. The sixth and final run of the inning came on another error by North Central, to keep the trend of the game consistent, making the score 15-0 in favor of CSS. In the fifth and final inning, a single from Moisio for her second RBI of the game gave the contest it's final score of 16-0. 

Mizera was on the mound for CSS to take the win, pitching three perfect innings and earning eight strikeouts. Vanessa Kohl (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) took over for the final two innings of the game, allowing only a single hit and striking out four batters. Borgeson went 3-for-3 during the game with an RBI, followed by Underwood who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Game 2: CSS 32, NCU 2 (F/5)
The Saints found more success in game two, outscoring the Rams 32-2 in the five innings and allowing only four hits. 

In the first two innings, the Saints scored a total of 24 runs. 14 of the runs came in the first inning, on two singles, six extra base hits, and two home runs by the Saints. Dailey and Underwood hit the bombs for CSS. 

In the second inning, 10 more runs came from CSS on six hits and an error. O'Byrne collected an RBI during the inning, along with two coming from Bremer and three coming from Bretting to make the score 24-0 heading into the third. 

The Rams finally found success in the bottom of the third inning, after allowing five more runs by the Saints. Two singles were enough to put two runs on the board for NCU, giving the Rams their only two runs of the game and putting the score at 29-2 headed into the fourth inning. A single from Moisio got the Saints to 30 runs in the fourth inning, then an RBI double from Sabrina Bozich (West Richland, Wash./Hanford HS) and a single from Bishop in the fifth inning gave the game its final 32-2 score.

Heidi Shelton (Duluth, Minn./Proctor HS (St. Cloud Tech and CC)) took the win for CSS, allowing only four hits and earning two strikeouts. Underwood led the Saints at the plate, going 3-for-5 with six RBIs. Bretting was just behind her, also going 3-for-5 with five RBIs of her own. Bremer and O'Byrne both went 3-for-3 during the game.

Up Next
The Saints are back on the field again on Friday when they face Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. The doubleheader is set to begin at 3 p.m.