Notables
- First loss on the Saints Field turf in program history (7-1)
- Rydlund has reached safely in 16 consecutive games
- Kanters had four RBIs on the day to lead the Saints
DULUTH, Minn. (
csssaints.com) – The College of St. Scholastica softball team hosted the University of Northwestern (Minn.) at Saints Field Thursday afternoon for two Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) games. It turned out to be a beautiful day for softball, with the temperature in the mid-50s as the teams each added a win apiece to their overall record. The Saints took game one by a final score of 5-3, while the Eagles won game two 7-4.
Game One: CSS 5, UNW 3
The Saints came into the first game against Northwestern riding a five-game winning streak, looking to extend it even further.
Maggie Schley (Mounds View, Minn./Irondale HS) received the nod for game one, making quick work right away as she forced Northwestern into a 1-2-3 first inning. The Saints backed up Schley's nice first inning as
Toni Bishop (Roseville, Minn./Roseville HS) knocked in
Cindi Rydlund (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) and
Alexa Bremer (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS) in the bottom of the inning on a two-out single to give the Saints the early lead.
Northwestern (16-12, 5-3 UMAC) struck back in the top of the second, with an Abbie Nelson double scoring a run and two costly errors allowing her to score moments later to tie the game at 2-2. Once again, however, the Saints put more on the board in the bottom half to take the lead back. This time it was
Hannah Thul (Superior, Wis./Superior HS) knocking in a run as she singled to left field to score
Lily Kagan (Anchorage, Alaska/Robert Service HS) and make the score 3-2.
Schley had another 1-2-3 inning in the top of the third, giving the Saints a chance to open the game up in the bottom of the inning. With two outs and the bases loaded,
Killyn Kanters (Hayward, Wis./HACIL Charter School) did just that. On a 1-1 count, Kanters came in as a pinch hitter and delivered a sharp single up the middle of the field to score two Saints and increase the lead to 5-2.
After the Kanters single the game became more of a defensive duel, with neither team scoring a run until the top of the sixth inning. Once again it was Abbie Nelson providing for the Eagles as she singled in a run to bring her team within two. Schley wouldn't let the comeback be completed, though, as she picked up four straight outs after the Nelson single to secure the CSS victory at 5-3.
Kanters and Bishop each knocked in two runs to spark the Saints offense, while Schley earned her fourth win on the year (4-3) with seven innings of pitching and giving up just two earned runs on five hits.
Game Two: UNW 7, CSS 4
The Saints were looking for similar results in game two of the doubleheader, this time with
Vanessa Kohl (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) on the mound. The Eagles quickly put a runner in scoring position with no one out in the top of the first inning, but a ground out and back-to-back strikeouts from Kohl put a halt to the threat.
In the bottom half of the inning the Saints also put a runner in scoring position as Rydlund singled to right field and advanced to second on a throwing error. However, she was left stranded much like Mindy Forcier of Northwestern in the top half of the inning to keep the game scoreless.
The Eagles scored the first run of the game in the second inning off a wild pitch as Courtney Schmidt took off from third base and slid in safely at home to make the score 1-0. The Saints had a chance to even the game out in the bottom half of the third inning with runners on first and second and two outs, but an unfortunate ground ball hitting a CSS runner would end the inning.
Northwestern scratched two more runs across in the top of the fourth due to a fielding error by the Saints, putting the Eagles ahead 3-0 halfway through the ball game. After no scoring in the bottom of the fourth and top of the fifth, the Saints finally put some pressure on the Eagles in the bottom of the fifth inning.
With two quick outs having occurred already, Bremer drilled a ball to deep left field for a two-out double and a potential rally. Thul reached moments later on a fielding error by the Northwestern shortstop, which also allowed Bremer to score from second. Rydlund kept the two-out rally going with a single that scored Thul, putting the Saints one run behind at 3-2. Schley followed the theme, smacking a 1-0 pitch to deep right center field. Rydlund would have scored on the play, but the ball bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double to keep her at third. The Saints couldn't knock in the final two runners on base, grounding out to end the inning.
The Eagles didn't let the CSS momentum stick around for long as they put up three runs of their own in the top of the sixth inning, highlighted by a Forcier triple to left center that scored two runners to give UNW the 6-2 lead. The Saints loaded the bases in the bottom half, but with two outs an infield pop-up would be secured by Northwestern to end the inning.
Northwestern scored one more in the seventh due to a throwing error by CSS, making the score 7-2 heading into the final at-bats for St. Scholastica. With two outs and runners on first and second, Kanters ripped a shot to right center for a two-RBI double to bring the Saints within three. That would be as close as the Saints came, however, as they fell to the Eagles by a final score of 7-4.
Kohl moved to 3-5 overall after the loss, but struck out seven Northwestern batters in her seven innings of work. Kanters lead the team with two RBIs, while Bremer continued to swing a hot bat as she went 2-for-3 at the plate with a walk as well.
Up Next
The Saints (11-10, 5-1 UMAC) will receive a much-needed day off on Friday after playing four games in two days. They will be back in action Saturday afternoon at Kenwood Field, field conditions permitting, for a doubleheader matchup against Crown College. The first pitch is slated to be thrown at 1 p.m.
