Notables
-Make-up doubleheader, having been rescheduled twice
-With today's split, the last 12 games between the teams have seen six wins for CSS and six wins for UNW
-Schley has reached base in 10 straight games
-Game two victory was the first CSS win this season when being out-hit
ST. PAUL (
csssaints.com) – The St. Scholastica softball team split a doubleheader against conference rival University of Northwestern (Minn.) on Monday, losing the first game by a score of 5-2 and winning the second 5-4 in 10 innings.
Game 1: UNW 5, CSS 2
The Saints got off to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning after a home run by
Maggie Schley (Mounds View, Minn./Irondale HS) also drove in
Nicole Anders (Port Angeles, Wash./Sequim HS). But a fielding error by the Saints during the Eagles' at-bat allowed UNW to cut the deficit to one run.
After a scoreless second inning, the Eagles tied it up at 2-2 after a bunt drove in the tying run in the bottom of the third. The Saints were again unable to score in the fourth inning, and UNW were able to take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
The Eagles extended their lead in the bottom of the fifth, with a two-run home run. CSS was not able to find a run, and the game ended 5-2 to Northwestern.
Schley had three strikeouts in the loss, while also delivering the team's only offense for the game. Lexi Kopacek allowed just five hits to earn the win for the Eagles.
Game 2: CSS 5, UNW 4 (F/10)
The second game took extra innings to decide and a pair of runs in the 10
th proved to be the difference in a 5-4 St. Scholastica win.
CSS again earned two runs in the top of the first, thanks to RBIs by
Olivia Howe (Scandia, Minn./Forest Lake HS) and
Josie Fourre (Albany, Minn./Albany HS). The Eagles responded by scoring a run of their own in the bottom frame.
Another RBI by Howe in the third increased CSS' lead to 3-1. The score would remain 3-1 until the bottom of the seventh inning, when a one-out, two-run home run by the Eagles forced extra innings.
The Eagles (14-14, 4-4 UMAC) got the leadoff batter on in both the eighth and ninth innings, but came away with nothing. The best chance to end the game was in the ninth with the winning run on third Fouree made a diving stop and threw the batter out from her knees to keep the game going.
As the game entered the 10
th inning, the international tiebreaker rule was deployed putting a runner at second base to begin the inning. A single by
Kayla Christopherson (Zimmerman, Minn./Zimmerman HS (Itasca CC)) drove in pinch runner
Cambria Hale (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge HS) gave CSS a 4-3 lead. The Saints added another run after a bases loaded walk by
Toni Bishop (Roseville, Minn./Roseville HS) allowed Howe to score.
The Eagles were able to score one run in the bottom of the 10th, but were not able to come up with a tying run, and the game ended 5-4 in favor of CSS.
Howe went 9.1 innings to earn the win. Schley came in to get the final two outs to earn her first save of the season. Fouree and Christopherson each had two hits. Howe also had a team-best two RBIs.
Up Next
The Saints (13-13, 5-3 UMAC) head to Minneapolis on Wednesday for a doubleheader with North Central University (Minn.), with the first game set to begin at 3:30 p.m.
