ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Gustavus softball team swept St. Catherine for the first time since 2016, getting wins of 1-0 and 5-4 over the Wildcats in the crucial MIAC series. The wins move the Gusties up to a share of fourth in the MIAC standings, and improve the team’s conference record to 10-6 and overall record to 17-15.
Gustavus 1, St. Catherine 0 | BOX SCORE
Piper Otto (Jr., Brooklyn Park) was no doubt the hero of game one for the Gusties. Otto pitched a complete game shutout to get the MIAC victory, allowing just five hits through seven innings of work. Otto’s shutout was crucial, as the Gusties managed only one run against the Wildcats in game one.
The Gusties waited until the top of the sixth to finally strike, as Shelby Ringwelski (So., Forest Lake) led the inning off with a triple. Lauren Lambert (Fy., Woodbury) followed Ringwelski with a walk, but it was Greta Dahlen (So., West Des Moines, Iowa) who scored the game-winner. Dahlen sent Ringwelski home on an RBI single for the only run of game one.
The Gusties managed six hits of their own, including two from the bat of Dahlen. Ringwelski, Madi Mueller (Jr., North Mankat0), Lambert, and Kate Murray (Sr., Chanhassen) combined for the rest.
Gustavus 5, St. Catherine 4 | BOX SCORE
Game two was quite the change in pace, as the Gusties wasted no time getting runs across the plate. A four-run first helped Gustavus take a commanding lead to start the game.
Mueller led off the game with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. MIAC Athlete of the Week Kayla Herda (So., Farmington) was walked in the next at-bat, followed by Caitlin Olafsson (Fy., Woodbury), who reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. An RBI single from Ringwelski scored Mueller and advanced the batters. Lambert was walked to score Herda, and Olafsson added one more as Olivia Guggenberger (Fy., Rosemount) reached on a fielder’s choice. Another Wildcat error gave the Gusties their final run of the inning and a 4-0 lead heading to the second.
From there, it was up to the Wildcats to play catch-up. A three-run third got them within one of the Gusties, before scoring a single run in the bottom of the fifth to pull even at 4-4.
The Gusties responded with a single run of their own in the sixth, as Dahlen once again led the scoring charge. Back-to-back singles from Dahlen and Kayla Ruud (Sr., Savage) put two on base for Kate Murray. Murray reached on a fielder’s choice, sending Dahlen home and moving the lead back in favor of the Gusties.
The Gusties’ insurance run was left on base in the bottom of the seventh, as Olafsson hit a monster double into deep left field, but had no luck reaching home. Marah Hulke (Fy., Courtland) put in her fair share of work to end the game in the seventh. After walking her first batter of the inning, Hulke sent three Wildcats down in order to seal the victory.
The Gusties finished game two with eight hits, including two once again from Dahlen, who also picked up an RBI and a run. Mueller, Olafsson, Ringwelski, Lambert, Guggenberger, and Ruud each added one to the total.
Maizie Anderson (Fy., Rosemount) got the start on the mound, allowing four runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings of work to pick up the win. Hulke closed out the game with no hits in her 2.1 innings of relief.
The Gusties head north on Saturday, facing St. Scholastica for the MIAC doubleheader at 1 p.m. in Duluth.