Saints report: CSS opens softball season with wins – Reuters Sports News
NORTHFIELD, Minnesota – St. Scholastica opened its softball season with a pair of wins over Northland on Saturday at the Dundas Dome, 4-3, 10-2.
In Game 1, Northland tied the game in the top of the fifth only for the Saints to tear it away for good in the bottom half of the inning on an RBI brace from Grace Hadlich.
Hadlich, along with Olivia Howe and Heidi Stewart, had two-hit games for the Saints.
In the circle, Haley Rosenthal picked up the win, allowing three earned runs on six hits. She walked three and pulled out two.
In Game 2, the Saints pounced on the Lumberjills for six first-inning runs on six hits and an error, including a Lauren Laviano three-run homer, the first of his college career. CSS triggered the mercy rule with three runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Laviano and Rosenthal went 3-for-4, while four other players each had two hits. Howe pitched and allowed two unearned runs on four hits in six innings, stoking five and none on the foot.
CSS (2-0) will play two games in Oshkosh, Wisconsin next Sunday.
Saints swept up in Millikin’s doubleheader
It took St. Scholastica a little too long to warm up the offense to start its baseball season, which resulted in 3-0, 6-5 losses to Millikin on Sunday in Decatur, Illinois.
The Saints were shut out on three hits in Game 1, which was enough for Millikin to get the necessary runs in the third inning on a sacrificial fly and a pitching error on a steal attempt despite not only had two hits for the game.
Mitchell Novak and Matt Harris had singles for CSS in the fifth inning, but a two-out flyout knocked the hosts out of the inning.
Dallas Miller took the loss for CSS despite allowing an earned run on five hits in two innings.
In Game 2, CSS led 5-2 after four innings, but gave up single runs in all but one final five frames.
The Saints had five more hits in the first five innings, the most significant of which was a fourth-inning two-run homer from Harris that made it 5-2. However, Millikin fabricated runs on a sacrifice fly, RBI groundout, tight bunt and scored the winning run on a two-out wild pitch in the bottom of the ninth.
Matt Tautges went 3 for 5 for the Saints, while Jack Tiemann and Luke Schemenauer had two hits apiece. Chase Bredl suffered the loss in relief to starter Grant Taival, who allowed three runs in five innings.
CSS (0-2) and Millikin play the third and final game of their series on Monday.