NORTHFIELD, Minn. - Making up a pair of contests postponed by weather earlier in the season, the Carleton College softball team split a home doubleheader against Gustavus Adolphus College, dropping the opener 9-1 but winning game two, 4-2.
Game 1 Recap
The Gusties (13-19, 8-10 MIAC) got out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Knights (18-13, 6-10 MIAC) answered with a run of their own when
Cassie Cunniff (Jr./Mt. Prospect, Ill./Prospect) walked and scored from first on
Madison Collins' (Sr./Elmhurst, Ill./York) two-out double.
The score remained 2-1 until the fourth inning, when the Gusties tacked on a pair of runs. They would continue to add to their total through the seventh inning, while the Knights' bats went cold against Gustavus pitcher Piper Otto, who finished game one allowing the lone run and only two hits across 6.0 innings of work in the 9-1 decision.
Collins' two doubles in the contest gives her 15 on the season, cushioning her conference lead and moving her into sole possession of second place on the team's single-season list. She is now one behind Katie Eppard '18 and Natalie Maurice '20 for the top spot in program history (see lists below).
Game 2 Recap
Faith Hanshaw (Jr./The Woodlands, Texas/The Woodlands Christian Acad.) picked up the win, allowing only a pair of runs over 6.0 innings to a Gustavus lineup that had batted .432 (16-for-37) in the first game.
All the scoring for Carleton came in the second inning. With two out and two runners in scoring position,
Amy Chen (So./Kirkland, Wash./Lake Washington) delivered, depositing the ball into left-center and driving in both runners.
Helen Moses (So./Denver, Colo./Denver East) and
Brooke McKelvey (Sr./West Linn, Ore./West Linn) each followed with RBI singles of their own, and the four runs were all the Knights would need for Hanshaw.
Gustavus tried to fight back, plating a run each in the third and fifth innings, but it was not enough. Carleton turned back to their game one starter
Logan Robinson (Sr./Alexandria, Va./National Cathedral School) to close out game two, and she closed the door for her first career save, inducing three straight groundouts to shortstop
Bryanna Schaffer (Fy./San Diego, Calif./Mar Vista).
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton faces possibly its toughest task of the season, as the Knights travel to Arden Hills, Minn., to take on nationally ranked Bethel Univeristy (No. 11). First pitch for the dual slate is at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27.
Most doubles in recorded team history (single season)
17 – Natalie Maurice – 2017
15 – Madison Collins – 2022
13 – Anna Lauko – 2019
12 – Laura Espinosa – 2000
12 – Natalie Maurice – 2019
11 – Amanda Espinosa – 2005
10 – Deb Linksvayer – 1995
10 – Vickie Gunderson – 2002
10 – Micaela LaRose – 2014
10 – Madison Collins – 2021
Most doubles in recorded team history (career)
37 – Katie Eppard – 2015-18
37 – Natalie Maurice – 2017-20
36 – Madison Collins – 2019-present
32 – Vickie Gunderson – 2002-05
32 – Micaela LaRose – 2012-15
28 – Molly Steinberg – 2015-18
26 – Laura Espinosa – 1998-01
25 – Lisa Friedman – 2007-12
23 – Jenny Ramey – 2011-14
22 – Becky Shobe – 1990-94
22 – Amanda Espinosa – 2002-05
