ST. PETER, Minn. – The Carleton College softball team split a pair of one-run games at Gustavus Adolphus College. After absorbing a heat-breaking 4-3 loss in game one, the Knights bounced back and won game two by a 2-1 margin.
Game 1 Recap
Gustavus Adolphus 4, Carleton 3
The game was scoreless until the Knights (16-20, 7-13 MIAC) pushed three runs across in the top of the sixth inning. The Gusties (21-17, 14-8 MIAC) were kept in check all game but found a way to score four two-out runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to secure the walk-off victory.
Helen Moses (Jr./Denver, Colo./Denver East) doubled with one out in the sixth inning, sparking the Carleton rally. After
Cassie Cunniff (Sr./Mt. Prospect, Ill./Prospect) reached on an error,
Bryanna Schaffer (So./San Diego, Calif./Mar Vista) hit a sacrifice fly.
Adriana Wiggins (Fy./Long Beach, Calif./Wilson) followed with an RBI single to centerfield, and
Laurie Avila's (Sr./Sugar Grove, Ill./Oswego) second double of the game chased home the final Carleton run.
With two down in the seventh, Gustavus tallied its first run on a passed ball, followed by two-run, game-tying single, a hit by pitch, and another single to drive home the winning run.
Schaffer had worked 6.2 scoreless frames before the Gusties broke through in the seventh.
Game 2 Recap
Carleton 2, Gustavus Adolphus 1
Hala Soliman (Sr./Harrisburg, N.C./Lake Norman Charter) improved to 8-5 on the season as she tossed arguably her best outing of the season, limiting Gustavus to only three hits and a lone run in a complete game effort.
The Gusties used a double steal—including a steal of home—to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Carleton responded with back-to-back RBI singles by Schaffer and Wiggins in the fifth inning, and that would be all the offensive support that Soliman would need. She did not surrender a hit over the final three innings.
Soliman tossed a three-hitter in her third route-going performance of the season.
Schaffer had a game-high two hits, while
Emma Kartheiser (Sr./Oronoco, Minn./Century) singled, scored a run, and drew two walks.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton wraps up the MIAC regular-season schedule by hosting national No. 9 Bethel University for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader at Ele Hansen Field.