NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Behind a complete game from righthander
Logan Robinson (Sr./Alexandria, Va./National Cathedral School) and home runs by
Cassie Cunniff (Jr./Mt. Prospect, Ill./Prospect) and
Brooke McKelvey (Sr./West Linn, Ore./West Linn, the Carleton College softball team won game one of its doubleheader against St. Scholastica. The Knights rallied to tie game two at 3-3 before the Saints scored two late runs and salvaged a split with a 5-3 result.
These were Carleton's (16-7, 4-4 MIAC) first on-campus home games of the season and the Knights' first game action overall since April 10.
"It was nice to get back on the field again this spring," said Carleton head coach
Amy Erickson. "Logan threw another solid game, and some timely hitting solidified the game one victory. We fell a bit short in game two, but will keep pushing forward towards our season goals."
Game 1 Recap
After St. Scholastica (11-14, 3-8 MIAC) scratched out a run in the top of the first, Carleton answered back with Cunniff's fifth home run of the season—this one a two-run, opposite field blast—in the bottom of the frame.
Cunniff's five long balls tie her for the second-highest recorded single-season total by a Knight (
see chart below).
The Knights tacked on two more runs in the second inning, including a bases-loaded walk drawn by
Bryanna Schaffer (Fy./San Diego, Calif./Mar Vista).
Cunniff stole home on the back end of a double steal with Schaffer in the fourth inning, and McKelvey's long two-run homer in the sixth inning capped the scoring.
McKelvey finished 3-for-4, while Schaffer went 2-3. Cunniff's roundtripper was the only other hit for Carleton, which coaxed eight walks to put the St. Scholastica pitchers under stress all game.
Robinson improved to 7-3 on the season as she scattered six hits en route to her sixth complete game of the year.
Game 2 Recap
The Saints grabbed an early lead, but Carleton knotted the score up 3-3. First McKelvey had a RBI single in the second inning, then the Knights plated two runs on a ball hit three feet in front of home plate.
Schaffer singled and
Ella Collins (Fy./Ashburn, Va./Riverside) walked with one out. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, setting the stage for a wild sequence.
Laurie Avila (Jr./Sugar Grove, Ill./Oswego) dropped down a squeeze bunt, and Schaffer managed to slide under the tag of the St. Scholastica catcher. While the Saints pleaded with the home plate umpire, Avila took off for second base. On the throw across the diamond, Collins raced home with the tying run.
The score remained 3-3 until St. Scholastica pushed across two runs in the top of the seventh.
When Schaffer doubled to start the bottom of the frame, it brought the tying run to the plate for Carleton, but the Knights were unable to level the score.
Ally Norton (So./Norfolk, Mass./King Philip Regional) had thrown four spectacular innings of relief until the Saints finally solved her for the two runs in the seventh.
Schaffer finished 3-for-4, and
Madison Collins (Sr./Elmhurst, Ill./York) picked up two hits.
Up Next for the Knights
This was the first of eight doubleheaders over a 14-day stretch. Next up is a home twinbill against St. Catherine University on Thursday, April 21 with a scheduled 3:30 p.m. first pitch.
Most Home Runs (single season)
6 -- Cassie Clark -- 2015
5 -- Vickie Gunderson -- 2004
5 -- Kari Christianson -- 2006
5 -- Emily Maland -- 2008
5 -- Jenny Ramey -- 2011
5 -- Jocelyn Friedman -- 2011
5 -- Natalie Maurice -- 2019
5 -- Cassie Cunniff -- 2022
