Notables
-Thul finished three hits on the day in her collegiate debut
-CSS committed seven errors between the two games
MARQUETTE, Mich. (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica softball team opened its 2018 season on Saturday at the Finlandia Dome Tournament with a pair of losses to Concordia University Wisconsin and No. 23-ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
CUW 8, CSS 5
The Saints saw a 5-2 lead slip away when Concordia scored six runs in the bottom of the sixth to rally past the Saints 8-5.
After the Falcons (1-1) plated a run in the bottom of the first, the Saints tied it in the top of the third. Freshman
Hannah Thul (Superior, Wis./Superior HS) had a one-out double and then advanced to third on an error. Thul then scored on an
Alexa Bremer (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS) ground out to make it 1-1.
CSS then put together a two-out rally with four straight singles capped off by an
Alex Wurzer (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS) bases loaded hit to bring in senior
Cindi Rydlund (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS). The Saints had the runner from second cut down at the plate on the play and the Saints led 2-1.
Senior pitcher
Vanessa Kohl (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the third and CSS added to its lead in the top of the fifth when junior
Maggie Schley (Mounds View, Minn./Irondale HS) singled in Thul to make it 3-1.
After CUW got one run back in the bottom of the fifth, sophomore
Lily Kagan (Anchorage, Alaska/Robert Service HS) hit a two-run triple in the sixth, scoring
Karissa Ratcliff (North Branch, Minn./North Branch HS) and
Alexis Ford (Billings, Mont./Billings West HS) to put the score at 5-2.
In the bottom frame, the Falcons led the inning off with a triple. A CSS error then scored the runner at third and the batter came all the way around to score to make it 5-4. A few batters later a wild pitch brought in the tying run to make it 5-5.
Now with two outs, Concordia hit a ground-rule double to bring in the go-ahead score. Another CSS error plated two more runs in the inning to make it 8-5.
The Saints had the tying run at the plate in the top of the seventh, but a ground out ended it.
Kohl allowed only three earned runs and struck out five in the loss. Schley,
Autumn Senger (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo HS) and Wurzer led the offense with two hits apiece. The Saints out-hit the Falcons 11-10.
UWO 8, CSS 0 (F/5)
The 23
rd-ranked Titans scored at least one run in four of the first five innings to defeat the Saints 8-0 in five innings.
Bremer began the game by sending the ball over the outfield fence. However, since the dimensions of the field don't meet NCAA minimums, that is ruled as a ground-rule double. Bremer was then put out at third base and the Saints were held scoreless.
The Titans (2-0) got a home run the only way you can this weekend, the inside-the-park variety, in the bottom of the frame to make it 1-0. Oshkosh hit two triples in the second inning, with the second scoring two runs to extend the lead to 3-0.
St. Scholastica held the Titans scoreless in the third, but CSS errors allowed two unearned runs to score in the fourth to make it 5-0. Oshkosh added three more runs in the fifth inning to end the game early by mercy rule 8-0.
Schley picked up the loss for the Saints. Bremer, Rydlund, Kagan and Thul had the four hits for the St. Scholastica offense. The Titans finished with eight hits.
Up Next
The Saints (0-2) return to the field tomorrow for games against Lakeland College (Wis.) and Marian University (Wis.). CSS begins play at 10 a.m. (ET).
