KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The College of St. Scholastica softball team wrapped up another day of competition at The Spring Games on Thursday, dropping a pair of games to Aurora University and Mount Saint Mary College. The Saints now sit at 3-7 overall on the season with two games remaining on their spring break trip.
Aurora University 11, St. Scholastica 1
Aurora used a five-run fifth inning and a three-run sixth to pull away from the Saints in the opening game of the day, earning an 11-1 victory.
St. Scholastica generated early offense in the second inning. Adie Potratz (Bemidji, MN/Bemidji HS) reached base and eventually came around to score when Sami Ernst (Forest Lake, MN./Forest Lake HS) delivered an RBI single to center field, trimming the deficit to 2-1.
Callie Casura (Lino Lakes, MN/Centennial HS) led the Saints at the plate with two hits, while Ernst and Lindsey Ewer (Hermantown, MN/Hermantown HS) each added a hit as part of the Saints' five-hit effort. Casura also swiped two bases as the Saints were aggressive on the basepaths throughout the game.
Aurora extended its lead with a sacrifice fly in the third inning before breaking the game open in the fifth. The Spartans strung together several hits and capitalized on a pair of defensive miscues to push five runs across and take control of the contest.
Aleah Shogren (Bemidji, MN/Bemidji HS) started in the circle for the Saints, while Lindsey Blumenthal and Bailey Ellison (Chaska, MN/Chaska HS) also saw time in relief.
Mount Saint Mary 3, St. Scholastica 2 (8 innings)
The Saints bounced back with a tightly contested battle in the second game of the day but fell just short in extra innings, 3-2.
St. Scholastica struck first in the opening inning when Ernst singled and later scored on an RBI groundout by Kaylei Greene (San Bernardino, CA/Summit HS) to give the Saints a 1-0 lead.
Mount Saint Mary tied the game in the fourth inning, but the Saints reclaimed the advantage in the sixth. Greene reached base and moved into scoring position before Katelyn Hackman (Oakdale, MN/Tartan HS) delivered a clutch RBI double to left field to make it 2-1.
The Knights evened the game again in the seventh inning with an RBI double before the contest moved to the international tiebreaker in the eighth.
After the Saints were unable to push across the go-ahead run in the top half of the inning, Mount Saint Mary capitalized in the bottom half when a ground ball reached on an error, allowing the winning run to score and secure the 3-2 result.
Hackman paced the Saints offensively with two hits and an RBI, while Abigail Gooden (Highlands Ranch, CO/Thunderridge HS) added a triple. Bailey Ellison (Chaska, MN/Chaska HS) delivered a strong performance in the circle, working 7.2 innings while allowing six hits and two earned runs while striking out two.
St. Scholastica will conclude its spring break schedule on Friday with its final two games of the trip against Russell Sage College and Dean College.
