ST. PAUL, Minn. – Playing its third road doubleheader in as many days, the Carleton College softball team spit a pair of contests at Hamline University on Sunday afternoon. The Pipers held off a late Knight rally to win the opener 8-5, while the Carleton bounced back and took game two, 9-3.
Brooke McKelvey (Sr./West Linn, Ore./West Linn) had seven hits over the two games.
Game 1 Recap
Hamline (12-8, 3-4 MIAC) jumped out to a 6-0 lead with three runs in the bottom of the first inning and a three-run home run by Megan Rubbelke in the second frame.
Carleton (15-6, 3-3 MIAC) did not get a runner past second base until it pushed three runs across in the top of the sixth inning, a rally that included only two singles but featured three walks and five stolen bases.
Madison Collins (Sr./Elmhurst, Ill./York) singled home the first run,
Emma Kartheiser (Jr./Oronoco, Minn./Century) stole home as part of a double steal, and
Hala Soliman (Jr./Harrisburg, N.C./Lake Norman Charter) drew a bases-loaded walk to chase home the third run.
The Knights tallied two more runs in the top of the seventh inning and brought the tying run to the plate before Hamline's Kira Krueger managed to close out her complete-game victory.
McKelvey was 3-for-4, while Collins went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Carleton used three pitchers in the game, including
Ally Norton (So./Norfolk, Mass./King Philip Regional), who tossed 3.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Game 2 Recap
The first four Carleton batters had singles as part of a three-run top of the first. The Pipers countered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the stanza and another in the second inning.
Cassie Cunniff (Jr./Mt. Prospect, Ill./Prospect) tripled to begin the top of the third inning and waltzed home on McKelvey's single to center field. McKelvey later scored as part of an attempted double steal.
The Knights put the game out of reach with a four-run fifth inning.
Bryanna Schaffer (Fy./San Diego, Calif./Mar Vista) walked and Cunniff singled ahead of McKelvey's two-run triple to right-center. Collins' fielder's choice groundball brought home McKelvey, and
Amy Chen (So./Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington) later drew a bases-loaded walk to force home Collins with the final Carleton run.
Faith Hanshaw (Jr./The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands Christian Acad.) went the distance for her fourth victory of the season, allowing the three runs on eight hits. She yielded only one hit over her final four frames.
McKelvey was 4-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI. She is now batting a blistering .564 this season, second among MIAC players. Conniff and Collins had three hits apiece, with the later totaling three RBI in this contest to give her five RBI on the day.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton's home opener is slated for Wednesday, April 13 when the Knights host St. Catherine University at 3:30 p.m.
