SUPERIOR, Wis. -- The St. Scholastica softball team earned its first MIAC victory of the season on Sunday, splitting a doubleheader with Concordia (Minn.) in games played in Superior, Wisconsin.
In the opener, the Saints used a pair of big innings to rally past the Cobbers for a 6–5 win. After falling behind 4–0 through the first three innings, St. Scholastica responded with a decisive four-run third to even the score. Katelyn Hackman (Oakdale, MN/Tartan HS) delivered the key swing of the inning, driving in three runs on a double down the left field line before later finishing with a game-high four RBI.
The Saints added what proved to be the winning runs in the fifth, as Hackman again came through with an RBI double and Abigail Gooden (Highlands Ranch, CO/Thunderridge HS) followed with a run-scoring single to make it 6–4. Concordia would get one back on a solo home run in the sixth, but Aleah Shogren (Bemidji, MN/Bemidji HS) worked six innings to earn the win before Bailey Ellison (Chaska, MN/Chaska HS) closed the door in the seventh for the save.
St. Scholastica totaled 11 hits in the victory, with Sami Ernst (Forest Lake, MN./Forest Lake HS) leading the way with three, while Hackman paced the offense in both extra-base hits and RBI.
In game two, Concordia responded with a 7–4 win to salvage the split. The Saints matched the Cobbers early and briefly took a 3–1 lead after a two-RBI single from Gooden in the third inning. However, Concordia used a four-run fourth inning to swing momentum, highlighted by a three-run double that put the visitors in front for good.
St. Scholastica finished with nine hits in the nightcap, including multi-hit efforts from Kaylei Greene (San Bernardino, CA/Summit HS), Victoria Nelson (Lake Elmo, MN/Mahtomedi HS), and Katelyn Hackman (Oakdale, MN/Tartan HS). The Saints added a run in the seventh, but were unable to complete the comeback.
With the split, the Saints move to 1-8 in the MIAC and 7–18 overall. Up next, they'll travel to Bethel on Tuesday to take on the Royals.
