MOORHEAD, Minn. –
Samantha Rodriguez had six hits and five RBI on the day to help the Carleton College softball team push its win streak to a half-dozen games thanks to victories of 11-2 and 11-5 at Concordia College-Moorhead.
"It was great to see our offense continue to produce quality at-bats and hard contact in both games," said Carleton head coach
Amy Erickson. "We trusted our game plan throughout."
The Knights (16-14, 6-8 MIAC) tallied a season-best 11 runs in the opener, then matched that output in the nightcap as they have put together their second six-game win streak of the season.
Game 1 — Carleton 11, Concordia-Moorhead 2
Jade Thach got the Knights going with a three-run homer in the top of the first. It was her team-high third round-tripper of the year and the fourth of her career.
Carleton doubled its lead with three more tallies in the second frame.
Megan Smith's sacrifice fly was followed by an RBI double for Rodriguez and a run-scoring single off the bat of
Adriana Wiggins.
Concordia (9-17, 1-11 MIAC) scored its runs via a long ball in the bottom of the second. That was the only real blemish on the day for Carleton righty
Sydney Trentman, who picked up her seventh victory of the year as she matched her season-best with eight strikeouts while going the distance.
Rodriguez added an RBI single in the sixth, and
Gloria Hronek drew a bases-loaded walk to bring home another run.
Smith worked another bases-loaded walk in the seventh, and Wiggins capped the scoring with a two-out, two-run single up the middle.
Wiggins finished the opener 3-for-3 with two walks, while Rodriguez, Thach,
Esme Song, and
Angelina Wu each had two hits apiece for the Knights.
Game 2 — Carleton 11, Concordia-Moorhead 5
Becca Madsen struck out the side in the top of the first, but not before the Cobbers grabbed the early lead with a two-out RBI single.
Concordia stretched its margin to 3-0 with a run-producing groundout and a two-out single in the bottom of the second.
After the Knights left three runners in scoring position over the first two frames, Carleton produced its first run of the game with a single by Rodriguez, followed by a walk to Hronek. Thach was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and
Natasha Paez was also plunked to push home the run.
Rodriguez added an RBI single to center in the fourth inning to pull the Knights within 3-2, and the visitors scored six times with two out in the fifth frame to take the lead for good. A wild pitch brought permitted the first run to score, followed by consecutive RBI singles by Wu, Smith, and Rodriguez. After a walk to Wiggins re-loaded the bases, Hronek worked a walk to plate another run, and Thach's RBI single concluded the rally.
Smith's two-out double brought home two more runs in the sixth, and a Cobber error accounted for Carleton's final tally of the day.
Concordia plated a pair in the bottom of the sixth, but it was too little, too late for the Cobbers.
Rodriguez went 4-for-5, and Smith was 2-for-4 with a walk as both Knights scored twice and had three RBI. Song added her third consecutive multi-hit game with a 2-for-4 stat line.
Rachel Block earned the win in relief, tossed 6.0 innings and yielding two runs (one earned).
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton hosts Augsburg University for a 1:00 p.m. twin bill on Saturday, April 25.
