SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus softball team clinched the No. 6 seed in the MIAC postseason tournament with a doubleheader sweep over St. Scholastica on Monday. The Gusties (15-21, 10-12 MIAC) won game one 7-6 in dramatic fashion and then secured their first postseason bid since 2016 with a 9-4 game two victory.
MIAC playoffs begin Thursday for the Gusties as they travel to the No. 3 seed, which will be Saint Benedict or St. Catherine, depending on Wednesday’s outcome. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. The winner will take on No. 2 St. Olaf at Bethel, who earned the No. 1 seed and host site for the remainder of the tournament.
Gustavus 7, St. Scholastica 6 | BOX SCORE
The Gusties opened the game with a 2-0 lead in the first as Madelyn Mueller (So., North Mankato) led off with a triple and scored on a single by Kayla Ruud (Jr., Savage). Greta Dahlen (Fy., West Des Moines, Iowa) then doubled to score Ruud. In the second inning, Mueller doubled to left center, scoring Kate Murray (Jr., Minnetonka), who reached on a walk. Another Gustie run was added in the third as Kenzie Skuza (Sr., Princeton) singled home Ruud.
Gustavus added three needed insurance runs in the fifth. Rachel Kawiecki (Fy., Richfield) led off with a single and later scored on an error. Isabel Reuvers (So., Medford) made the error costly as she doubled home two runs for a 7-0 advantage.
Piper Otto (So., Brooklyn Park) pitched six scoreless innings while allowing just three hits with three strikeouts, but the Saints got to the Gustie bullpen in the seventh and were able to score six runs on five hits. The fifth hit of the frame was a two-run double, but the runner attempting to score from first base was thrown out on a relay from Mueller in center to Murray at short and then Skuza at home.
Otto earned her seventh win of the season after six innings in the circle. Ruud paced the offense, batting 3-f0r-4 with three runs, a double, and an RBI.
Gustavus 9, St. Scholastica 4 | BOX SCORE
Opposite of the first game, the Saints gained a 2-0 lead in the first but Gustavus immediately responded with two runs in the bottom half. Kaylyn Leonard (Sr., Plymouth) singled home Mueller after a walk and wild pitch. Three batters later, Dahlen singled hime Leonard.
St. Scholastica went up 3-2 in the third on a solo home run over the center field fence. Gustavus took its first lead of the game at 5-3 in the fourth as Leonard hits a bases-loaded clearing double to right center. The Gusties added three more runs in the fifth as Murray hit an RBI single and Reuvers later knocked in two runs with a double down the right field line.
Gustavus added its final insurance run in the sixth on a Dahlen RBI single up the middle. The Saints scored one run in the seventh, but could not match the comeback effort in game one.
Otto picked up her second win of the day after four innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits and a strikeout. Payton Belt (So., Indianola, Iowa) closed the final three frames, allowing one earned run on two hits and a strikeout. Leonard led at the plate, batting 3-for-4 with four RBI, a run, double, and stolen base.