MANKATO, Minn.- For the second consecutive weekend, the University of Northwestern Softball team played a pair of MIAC opponents inside the dome in Mankato on Saturday. The Eagles fell to St. Olaf 8-3 and then to Gustavus Adolphus 6-3.
Game One
The Eagles turned in six very strong innings against the Oles in their first contest on Saturday, however one poor inning was enough to doom the Eagles in the tilt.
UNW scored a run in each of the first three innings to take a 3-0 lead. In the top half of the first,
Reganne Henning (Beatrice, Neb./Beatrice) was caught attempting to steal second base but she was the "sacrificial lamb" as her teammate
Mikayla Gee (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) was able to swipe home on the throw down to second base. In the second inning,
Grace Bentley (Omaha, Neb./Marian) hit an RBI single up the middle to score
Trista Oberle (Hudson, Wisc./Homeschool). And in the third inning Gee scored on an RBI single from
Jadyn Iverson (West Fargo, N.D./West Fargo).
Leading 3-0 entering the bottom of the third inning, UNW saw St. Olaf trim into their lead with a pair of runs thanks to two RBI singles. The Eagles still clung to a 3-2 lead.
The tide would turn in the bottom of the sixth inning. The Oles' offense got on a tear that the Eagles could not slow down. Before the bottom of the sixth frame was over, St. Olaf had recorded four run scoring base hits and a sacrifice fly. St. Olaf finished with six runs in the inning and would win the nonconference contest 8-3.
Game Two
The second game of the Eagles' doubleheader, this time against the Golden Gusties from Gustavus, followed an opposite script from the first game. This time, it was the Eagles who fell down early and attempted to mount a comeback.
The Gusties scored one run in the first and two in the third to jump ahead 3-0. In the top of the fourth, Iverson delivered another run scoring knock (this time scoring Henning) to make the score 3-1 in favor of GAC. Gustavus added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth thanks in large part to a two run double.
Entering the seventh and final frame trailing 6-1, UNW would not go down without a fight.
Gabrielle Keith (Marble Rock, Iowa/Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock), who clearly enjoys hitting inside the Mankato dome, hit her second homerun of the season.
Kate Beer (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake) came around to score on the two run shot which cut the Eagles' deficit to 6-3. UNW would not score again as that score held up as the final.
Up Next
The Eagles will now begin preparing for their upcoming trip down south. The next time UNW Softball will be in action will be at the THE Spring Games in Clermont, Florida. The Eagles' first day of competition in the Sunshine State is scheduled for Friday, March 8
th.
