Notables
-Third doubleheader in three days for CSS (5-1 in that stretch)
-O'Byrne hits first collegiate home run in game two
-Morris has runners thrown out at the plate in both games
-Bishop has reached base safely in 11 straight games
-CSS extends UMAC regular season home win streak to 34 games
DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica softball team finally got its home opener on Sunday and despite a few rain drops completed a sweep of the University of Minnesota Morris at Kenwood Field.
Game 1: CSS 8, UMM 0 (F/5)
After staying dry most of the day, the rain started to fall just before the first pitch of game one. The teams played through it though as neither contest was delayed with the Saints being in control of game one from start to finish.
After Morris had a runner thrown out at the plate in the top of the first, the Saints struck for three runs in their first time swinging the sticks. With the bases loaded and two outs,
Maggie Schley (Mounds View, Minn./Irondale HS) brought in two runs with a single up the middle. That was followed by a
Jena O'Byrne (Stewartville, Minn./Stewartville HS) bases loaded walk to make the score 3-0.
St. Scholastica added to its lead in the third inning on a Schley RBI double to bring in
Chrisi Mizera (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East HS). Later in the inning,
Dakota Underwood (Anchorage, Alaska/South Anchorage HS) scored on a
Cindi Rydlund (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) fielder's choice extending the margin to 5-0.
The Saints added three more runs in the fourth on RBI singles by
Marjaana Dailey (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS), O'Byrne and
Alexa Bremer (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS) to make it 8-0. The Saints held the Cougars in check in the top of the fifth to end the game early by mercy rule 8-0.
Mizera went four innings, striking out three and allowing only two hits.
Heidi Shelton (Duluth, Minn./Proctor HS (St. Cloud Tech and CC)) pitched a scoreless fifth inning. Schley was 2-for-2 with three RBIs, while Bremer went 2-for-3.
Game 2: CSS 4, UMM 3
The nightcap proved to be a much closer contest with Rydlund coming up big both offensively and defensively late to preserve the St. Scholastica 4-3 victory.
The Saints got on the board first again in the bottom of the first on a
Toni Bishop (Roseville, Minn./Roseville HS) sacrifice fly that brought in
Olivia Bretting (Ashland, Wis. /Ashland HS ). CSS made it 2-0 in the second inning when O'Byrne connected on her first career home run over the center field fence. Later that inning, Bretting singled through the right side to bring in Rydlund to extend the lead to 3-0.
It remained 3-0 until the fifth inning, when Morris was able to push its first runs across of the day on a bases-clearing double to cut the lead to 3-2. Base running errors, however, halted many Cougar rallies throughout game two. Morris had runners thrown out at third base in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
With St. Scholastica holding a one-run lead in the bottom of the sixth,
Samantha Clark (Brule, Wis/Northwestern HS) drew a walk to start a two-out rally. After a wild pitch moved Clark to second, Rydlund hit a deep fly ball just out the left fielder's reach to bring in Clark and make the score 4-2. That insurance run proved to be critical.
Moving onto the seventh inning, Morris forced a pair of one-out walks to put the tying run on base. Mizera was then brought in to close the contest for CSS.
A passed ball moved both runners into scoring position. Elle Stevenson followed with a base hit to left field scoring one, but Rydlund would cut down the tying run at the plate with Bishop applying the tag to keep the Saints ahead 4-3. The next batter would hit a weak pop up to Bremer at short to give the Saints the 4-3 victory.
Vanessa Kohl (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) went 6.1 innings, allowing only one earned run and scattering four hits to earn the win. Mizera picked up the save. Rydlund went 3-for-3 at the plate with Bretting going 2-for-3.
Up Next
The Saints (13-11, 6-0 UMAC) return to Kenwood Field on Tuesday when they welcome Bridge Rival University of Wisconsin-Superior for a conference doubleheader. The first game is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.
