RIVER FALLS, Wis. – The Carleton College softball team will head into the postseason on a four-game win streak and as victor in 14 of its last 16 contests following a pair of non-conference triumphs at University of Wisconsin-River Falls. The Knights topped the Falcons 7-6 and 8-4 on Monday.
Carleton improved to 24-16, tied with the 2019 squad for the most victories in a season in program history (see chart below).
Game 1 — Carleton 7, UW-River Falls 6
The Knights played from in front as
Sam Rodriguez doubled with one out in the top of the first, moved to third on the first of four hits on the day for
Adriana Wiggins, and scored as Carleton utilized some baserunning trickery. Wiggins later scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 lead. UW-River Falls (9-30) got one of those runs back with a two-out tally in the bottom of the frame.
Carleton scored four more times in the third inning. Rodriguez was hit by a pitch and consecutive singles by Wiggins,
Gloria Hronek, and
Emily Vogel brought home the first run. A wild pitch allowed Wiggins to score again, and
Natasha Paez cranked a two-run double to left center.
The Falcons scratched out two more two-out tallies in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 6-3 contest.
The Knights picked up the eventual game-winning run in the fifth when
Livi Peters singled home Wiggins. UW-River Falls scored twice in the bottom of the frame and another tally in the sixth to make it a one-run game, but
Rachel Block closed it out for her fourth save of the season, establishing a new single-season record for the Knights and tying the team record for career saves (see charts below).
Sydney Trentman improved to 9-5 on the season as she fanned four over 4.1 innings, allowing five runs. After
Genevieve Lyon tossed 0.2 inning of scoreless relief, Block permitted a run over the final 2.0 frames.
Game 2 — Carleton 8, UW-River Falls 4
Following a scoreless first inning, Paez got the Knights on the scoreboard with a two-run homer to left center. It was her fourth long ball of the season—tied for tops on the roster—and the sixth of her career. The Falcons responded immediately with a leadoff dinger of their own in the second and a two-out, run-scoring triple.
It remained deadlocked at 2-2 until Peters doubled home Vogel with two down in the fourth. The Knights tacked on four more runs in the fifth as RBI singles by Rodriguez and Wiggins preceded Hronek's two-run base knock to center.
The Falcons added a solo homer in the sixth inning before Carleton plated its final run thanks to a Rodriguez single and a pair of throwing errors. UW-River Falls got an RBI groundout in the seventh to complete the scoring.
Rodriguez, Wiggins, and Hronek had two hits apiece to pace the Carleton offense.
Becca Madsen worked the front 3.1 innings, permitting two runs. Block moved to 11-7 on the season and 9-1 with a save over her last 11 appearances after yielding a run over 2.2 frames of work in the circle. Trentman fanned a pair in a scoreless inning of work to close out the record-tying victory.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton opens the MIAC Playoffs as the No. 6 seed and will travel across the Cannon River to face No. 3 seed St. Olaf College at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 7
Most Wins in Carleton Softball History
24 -- 2019 (24-15, 10-12 MIAC)
24 -- 2026 (24-16, 12-10 MIAC)
21 -- 2000 (21-13, 12-10 MIAC)
20 -- 2002 (20-16. 12-10 MIAC)
Most Saves (single season)
4 -- Rachel Block — 2026
3 -- Becky Shobe – 1992
3 -- Caroline Teel – 1992
3 --
Sam Kile – 2017
3 --
Sam Kile - 2018
2 -- multiple players
Most Saves (career)
7 --
Sam Kile — 2016-19
7 -- Rachel Block — 2024-pres
4 -- Becky Shobe — 1992-93
4 -- Caroline Teel — 1992-93
3 -- Jenny Forster — 2011-14
