Notables
- CSS has now clinched a spot in the postseason conference tournament
- Rydlund went 7-for-9 from the plate in the doubleheader
- Rydlund and Bremer extend hitting streaks to 13 games
- CSS is now 27-24 in the all-time series against UWS

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SUPERIOR, Wis. (csssaints.com) - The College of St. Scholastica softball team traveled across the bridge for its annual border battle matchup against the Yellowjackets from the University of Wisconsin-Superior. With both teams near the top of the conference heading into the doubleheader the two games would be pivotal in terms of seeding for postseason. The Saints rose to the challenge, sweeping the 'jackets by scores of 17-5 and 10-5.
 
Game 1: CSS 17, UWS 5 (F/6)
The Saints took to the batter's box first on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon, wasting no time as they put up three runs in the top of the first inning. With one out and Alexa Bremer (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake HS) and Cindi Rydlund (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) on base, Maggie Schley (Mounds View, Minn./Irondale HS) launched a three-run shot over the center field fence to ignite the CSS offense for the remainder of the game.
 
Heidi Shelton (Duluth, Minn./Proctor HS (St. Cloud Tech and CC)) stood atop the mound to start things off for the Saints, making quick work of the UWS (13-15, 7-3 UMAC) lineup in the bottom of the first with a 1-2-3 inning.
 
St. Scholastica tacked on to its lead in the top of the second inning thanks in part to a Rydlund single up the middle, which turned into extra bases due to a throwing error. On the error, Hannah Thul (Superior, Wis./Superior HS) scored all the way from first base to give the Saints a 4-0 lead.
 
Shelton and company ran into problems in the bottom of the second, however, as the 'jackets offense started rolling. With the bases loaded and one out in the inning, Shelton hit Superior's Bobbi Jean Miller to eliminate the shutout opportunity. The next batter singled to score another run for UWS and make the score 4-2. Vanessa Kohl (Duluth, Minn./Duluth East HS) was called in from the bullpen to work out of the bases loaded jam. She did just that, recording the next two outs without allowing a run to score and keep the Saints in front at 4-2.
 
It didn't take long for the Saints to answer, scoring three more runs in the top of the third inning. With runners on the corners Nicole Anders (Port Angeles, Wash./Sequim HS) singled to right field, scoring both Toni Bishop (Roseville, Minn./Roseville HS) from third as well as Madison Harris (Billings, Mont./Billings West HS) from first. Anders would later be knocked in by Bremer to put the Saints up 7-2. Kohl, much like Shelton, put together a solid 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half of the third to keep CSS up five.
 
Rydlund scored another run for the Saints in the fourth, stealing third and advancing home due to an error made by the UWS catcher. Maggie Cragg brought a little momentum back for the Yellowjackets in the bottom of the fourth, knocking in two teammates with a double to left field to make the score 8-4.
 
Rydlund once again provided for the Saints, this time with the bases loaded. On the very first pitch of her at bat, Rydlund sent it to left center field to score two CSS runners and end up on second with a double. Thul was held up at third base, but scored on the next at-bat when Schley hit a sacrifice fly to give the Saints a big lead at 11-4. Superior scored one run in the bottom of the inning, attempting to inch their way closer as the board now read 11-5.
 
Instead of the Saints allowing the Yellowjackets to inch closer, however, they decided they wanted to end the game a bit early. Bremer, Thul, Schley, and Bishop all produced RBI hits in the inning to break open the game with a score of 17-5. Kohl took care of the Yellowjackets in the bottom of the sixth, forcing the mercy rule and giving the Saints the victory.
 
Rydlund went an effective 5-for-5 from the plate with two RBIs and three runs scored. Schley held the golden bat in the game, producing a game-high five RBIs. Kohl picked up the win for the Saints, pitching four and two-thirds innings and giving up just one earned run.
 
Game 2: CSS 10, UWS 5
Game two began quite different than game one as the 'jackets struck first in the scoring department with two runs in the bottom of the first inning to gain an early 2-0 lead. Both teams failed to score in the second, bringing the Saints up to bat in the third.
 
Bishop walked with loaded bases to put the Saints on the board. Harris then singled in two runs in the next at-bat to give the Saints the 3-2 lead for the time being. The 'jackets answered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning, however, taking the lead back at a score of 4-3.
 
The Saints added to the lead changes with another one in the top of the fourth, mostly due to some key errors produced by the UWS defense. McKenna Slagel (Ridgeland, Wis./Prairie Farm HS) scored first for CSS in the inning due to an infield error. Bremer scored moments later after another error, this time by the UWS outfield, to give the Saints the lead at 5-4.
 
The Yellowjackets tied the game back up in the bottom of the fourth with a fielder's choice to score Gabby Gidley. This would be the last run Schley gave up on the day, however, as she pitched three scoreless innings to close out the day. The Saints were also held scoreless in the fifth, but there would be a different story for innings six and seven.
 
Arianna Cremers (Cold Spring, Minn./ROCORI HS) gave CSS the lead in the top of the sixth with a RBI triple to right center that scored Slagel. Bremer and Rydlund each singled in a run later in the inning to put the Saints in front 8-5. Schley put together a 1-2-3 inning, followed by two more runs for the Saints in the seventh to double Superior's score at 10-5. That would remain the score for the final half inning, giving St. Scholastica the much needed sweep.
 
Bremer went 3-for-4 with three runs scored in game two, while UWS was led by Katie White who went 3-for-3 with two RBIs. Schley picked up the complete-game win on the mound, improving to 4-3 on the season.
 
Up Next
The Saints (16-11, 10-2 UMAC) will look to ride their current four-game winning streak into Saturday's doubleheader against the Bethany Lutheran College Vikings, with the first pitch to be thrown at 1 p.m. at Kenwood Field.