ST. CLOUD, Minn. – In their weekend finale, the Concordia-St. Paul softball team (22-16, 9-9 NSIC) split with Minnesota Duluth (21-14, 12-4 NSIC) in two tight games that were each decided by one run. Due to the weather, the games were played in the St. Cloud State dome where game one was 3-2 in favor of the Golden Bears and game two ended with a 2-1 score in favor of the Bulldogs.
Senior
Carlie Hart led the CSP offense on the day, going 4-7 with a run and four stolen bases. In the circle, junior
Kali Kaestner recorded the game one win, pitching a complete game while giving up only four hits and one run. Kaestner also logged 12 strikeouts on the day.
The Golden Bears will continue their NSIC schedule with a midweek doubleheader against #17 Winona State on Tuesday and weekend games against Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston.
GAME 1: CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL 3, MINNESOTA DULUTH 2
A four-hitter performance from
Kali Kaestner and nine CSP hits highlighted game one, as the Golden Bears came from behind to defeat Minnesota Duluth 3-2. The Bulldogs scored first in the game and had a 2-0 lead after three innings. Concordia rallied, scoring two runs in the fourth and a run in the fifth to claim the victory.
Kaestner pitched all seven innings for the Golden Bears, collecting her third complete game of the year. The junior right-hander struck out a career-high eight batters in the outing, allowing just two runs throughout the contest.
Offensively,
Carlie Hart and
Hanna Mortenson led the way, each going 3-4. Hart added two stolen bases and Mortenson both drove in a run and also scored herself.
Hannah Carlson chipped in with a big hit for CSP, driving a double to left center to get the Bears' first two runs across.
Minnesota Duluth got on the board in the bottom of the first inning, taking advantage of two walks and a single to get one runner across. The Bulldogs tacked on another run in the third inning, when Lauren Oberle led off the inning with a double, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a grounder to second. This put them ahead 2-0.
The Golden Bears tied it up the following inning, when Carlson drove in two runs to make it 2-2. Junior
Aryka Knoche opened the inning with a ground-rule double to left center. Mortenson then singled up the middle and both scored on Carlson's double to left center.
CSP took over the lead in the fifth, when McIntyre walked and stole second. This allowed her to score when Mortenson hit a single up the middle.
From there, Kaestner closed the door, stranding two runners on base in the fifth and recording back-to-back 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and the seventh. With the win, Kaestner improves to 4-2 on the year.
GAME 2: MINNESOTA DULUTH 2, CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL 1
Minnesota Duluth took home the win in game two, using a bases-loaded walk and a one-run home run to defeat Concordia 2-1. The Bulldogs held a slight edge in hits in the game, 4-3, but also took advantage of six walks throughout the contest.
Hart,
Kris McIntyre, and
Cam Veenbaas had a hit apiece in the game for the Golden Bears, and both
Justine Schattner and
Aryka Knoche reached base on a walk. Knoche also drove in CSP's lone run.
Samantha Sullivan started on the mound for CSP, going the first 3.1 innings. Sullivan struck out five and walked five, giving up one run on three hits in the start. Kaestner came in to relieve Sullivan, immediately getting out of a bases loaded jam. Kaestner pitched the final 2.2 innings, giving up one run on one hit while also striking out four.
This time it was CSP's turn to strike first, as they scored in the top of the first inning. Hart led off reaching on an error and advancing to second on the overthrow. McIntyre then singled, getting Hart over to third. This allowed Hart to score when Knoche grounded out to second base.
Minnesota Duluth tied the game up in the fourth inning as they loaded the bases with a single and two walks. Their run crossed with a bases-loaded walk. CSP made a pitching change, as Kaestner came in with bases loaded and only one out. She forced two infield pop-outs to get out of the inning with no further damage, preserving the 1-1 tie.
However, the Bulldogs broke that tie the following inning, when Kalynn Tilton hit a solo homer to left field to give UMD a 2-1 lead.
The Bears had a good chance to answer that run in the top of the sixth when Hart and Schattner both reached base with only one out. Pitcher Breanna Swint and the UMD defense recorded the final two outs of the inning, though, stranding both runners to maintain their one-run lead.
Swint proceeded to pitch a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh securing the win for Minnesota Duluth.
Despite only giving up one hit, Kaestner took the loss for CSP and is now 4-3 on the season.
