Notables
-Games originally scheduled for New Ulm, thus MLC was the home team
-Rydlund has gotten on base in 18 consecutive games
-Schley's home run is her first of the 2018 season
-First home loss to Martin Luther since the 1998 season

DULUTH, Minn. (csssaints.com) - The St. Scholastica softball team split a doubleheader against Martin Luther College on the turf of Saints Field on Sunday, which despite the warm weekend, was still bordered by snowbanks. The Saints won game one with a final score of 5-3 and game two ending with a score of 5-2 in favor of the Knights, thanks to a late, sixth-inning MLC rally.

Game 1: CSS 5, MLC 3
To start things off in game one, Alexa Bremer (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS) tripled to right center which then allowed her to score on a throwing error during the next at bat. This put the Saints up 1-0 after only two batters. There would not be more scoring again until the third inning. 

Hannah Thul (Superior, Wis./Superior HS) reached on an error to lead off the third, then stole second. A double from Cindi Rydlund (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) put Thul on third, then Maggie Schley (Mounds View, Minn./Irondale HS) followed up with a single, which scored Rydlund. A fielding error in right field pushed Thul across the plate and advanced Schley to third. Toni Bishop (Roseville, Minn./Roseville HS) earned the last RBI of the inning for CSS when she opened the door for Schley to score with a ground out to the short stop. The Knights got one back in the bottom of the third, but it was all the Saints would allow them, making the score 4-1. 

The fourth, fifth, and sixth inning each saw one run scored. The Saints scored in the top of the fourth, with the RBI going to Rydlund, scoring Bremer on a single. In the fifth and sixth, the Knights worked themselves to within reach of the lead with one run coming in each inning to make the score 5-3. The seventh inning was one-two-three in both the top and the bottom and the game ended in favor of CSS.

Heidi Shelton (Duluth, Minn./Proctor HS (St. Cloud Tech and CC)) got the win from the mound for CSS, pitching the full seven innings and earning three strikeouts. Schley led the offense with two RBIs. 

Game 2: MLC 5, CSS 2
The Saints held the lead in game two for most of the way, with one run coming on a solo home run from Schley in the top of the second, her first of the season. The third inning saw another CSS run score with Josie Fourre (Albany, Minn./Albany HS) leading things off with a single. She advanced on a sacrifice bunt from Lily Kagan (Anchorage, Alaska/Robert Service HS), then was pushed to third on a single from Thul. Rydlund raked in the run with a single to center field to score Fourre, giving the Saints a 2-0 lead. 

The next two and a half innings saw no scoring from either team. The Saints left at least one runner on base in the top of the fourth, fifth, and sixth but could not manage to score any of them. In the bottom of the sixth, the Knights made their move. A combination of four hits from the Knights and two CSS errors allowed five MLC runners to cross home plate. This gave the game a score of 5-2, which the Saints could not change in the top of the seventh to give Martin Luther the 5-2 victory. That win snapped a 22-game win streak in the series for the Saints.

Schley took the loss for CSS, pitching the full six innings and striking out four batters. She, along with Rydlund, led the offense with one RBI a piece. Bishop went 2-for-3 from the plate.

Up Next
The Saints (12-11, 6-2 UMAC) look to improve their Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) record on Tuesday when they take on Northland College for a doubleheader at either Saints Field or Kenwood Field in Duluth. Game one is set to begin at 3:30 p.m.