DUNDAS, Minn. - In its final game action before spring break, the Carleton College softball team swept Crown College in a pair of games at the Dundas Dome. The final scores were 11-0 and 20-4 in favor of Carleton, with both contests concluding after five innings.
 
The Knights (4-0, 0-0 MIAC) outscored Crown (0-2, 0-0 UMAC) 31-4 on the day and out-hit their opponents by a 28-7 margin. The team's total of 64 runs through four games is the highest mark in program history to begin a season—as well as through any four-game stretch—surpassing the 55 runs the Knights scored over first four games of the 1993 season (March 21-22, 1993). Additionally, this is the first time in program history that Carleton has put together multiple 20-run offensive efforts in the same season.
 
Game One Recap
Coming off MIAC Pitcher-of-the-Week honors, Faith Hanshaw (Jr./The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands Christian Acad.) bested her performance from last Saturday. Carleton's ace dazzled over 5.0 scoreless frames, striking out seven batters, while giving up only one walk and one hit in her second winning effort of the young season. Hanshaw retired 13 consecutive Storm hitters at one point, and took a no-hitter 4.2 innings into the five inning contest.
 
On the offensive end, the Knights kept up where they left off against Martin Luther, again reaching double digits in the hit and run columns. Cassie Cunniff (Jr./Mt. Prospect, Ill./Prospect) walked and scored on a Madison Collins (Sr./Elmhurst, Ill./York) double in the first inning for the go-ahead run, and a five-run second frame effectively put the game out of reach with Hanshaw on the mound. The Knights' righthander helped herself out with the bat as well, clubbing her first career home run, a two-run shot to left field that made the score 11-0 in the fourth.
 
Game Two Recap
Crown got off to a hot start thanks to a Thiery Zachary grand slam in the top of the first, but the Knights responded in a big way. For the second time in four games, Carleton saw 10 runners cross home plate in the opening inning. This time the first seven batters of the frame came around to score. The Knights did not stop there, pushing across another 10 runs over the next three innings.
 
Starting pitcher Ally Norton (So./Norfolk, Mass./King Philip Regional) settled in after surrendering the grand slam, giving up only three base runners over her final 2.1 innings of work. Logan Robinson (Sr./Alexandria, Va./National Cathedral School) came in and slammed the door over the final two innings, striking out three Crown batters. The only damage against Robinson was a bloop single in the fifth inning.
 
Overall, the Knights again had many impressive performances on the offensive end. Reigning MIAC offensive player of the week Brooke McKelvey (Sr./West Linn, Ore./West Linn) had a perfect day at the plate, going 6-for-6 with two walks. Her night included three doubles, a triple, six RBI, and two stolen bases. Cunniff, Madison Collins, Trina Eichel (Sr./Alameda, Calif./Alameda), and Helen Moses (So./Denver, Colo./Denver East) all performed well at the plate, each contributing multiple hits and RBI across the doubleheader.
 
"Another solid team effort," said Carleton head coach Amy Erickson. "Faith really gave us another focused start. I was happy that the team really stuck to their hitting plans and struck the ball very cleanly tonight in both games. We will keep pushing forward to continuing to improve as we prepare for spring training games."
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will step away from competition and focus on winter term final exams before heading to Florida for a slew of contests over Spring Break. The first of these games will be on Friday, March 18, beginning with a 2PM EDT matchup with Smith College followed by a 4:15PM EDT contest McDaniel College. All told, the Knights are slated for 12 games while they are in the Sunshine State.