NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College softball team was swept in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, falling 5-4 and 4-1 to UW-River Falls.
Paige Arnold and
Livi Peters were the lone Knights with a hit in each game.
Game 1 — UWRF 5, Carleton 4
The Knights (7-17) trailed 4-0 before getting on the scoreboard in the third inning when
Bryanna Schaffer belted a solo home run for her third roundtripper of the season.
Carleton still faced a 5-1 deficit before rallying in the later stages of the game.
Natasha Paez doubled to begin the bottom of the fifth inning and raced home immediately on an RBI single delivered by
Megan Smith.
The Knights plated a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh as Smith hit a sacrifice fly and
Esme Song followed with an RBI single up the middle. Carleton had the tying run aboard when the game ended.
Peters and Smith paced the Knights with two hits apiece. Kelly Aultman went deep for UW-River Falls (15-9), cranking a two-run dinger in the first inning for her seventh home run of the year.
Becca Madsen took the loss, permitting four runs over 2.0 innings before
Rachel Block took over on the rubber and tossed 5.0 innings of 1-run ball with four strikeouts.
Game 2 — UWRF 4, Carleton 1
Carleton again faced a 4-0 deficit, but this time the hosts were able to get back only one run as the Knights were limited to four hits.
Carleton scored its run in the fourth inning. Peters doubled with one out, then raced home following a fielding miscue by the Falcons.
Carleton appeared ready rally again in its final turn at bat. Block opening the frame with a pinch hit single, but a line drive by
Samantha Rodriguez that was destined for centerfield was instead somehow snared by UW-River Falls pitcher Brooklyn Van Gruensven and turned into a key double play.
Paige Arnold and Rodriguez had the other base knocks for the Knights in the contest.
Abby Gooch was saddled with the loss. After a scoreless opening inning of work, she faced three batters in the second inning and all three eventually scored.
Sydney Trentman followed with 6.0 innings of 1-run ball, including four strikeouts.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton hosts Macalester College for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, April 12.
