ST. PAUL, Minn – Macalester College softball matched up against Bethany Lutheran (6-8 overall) in their 2015 home opener at the Macalester Softball Complex on Sunday. The Scots came away with a pair of wins to increase their winning streak to five straight.
In the first game of the day, the Scots pulled out a come-from-behind 8th inning win as
Nikki Caicedo connected on a go-ahead two run homerun. In game two, Macalester posted 13 hits to the Vikings' four; with their hot bats propelling them to an 8-0 six-inning win.
Macalester improves to 12-5 overall this season following the sweep. The Scots record their final non-conference win before heading into Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play on Tuesday, March 31 when they host Bethel in a 4:30 p.m. doubleheader.
Game One: Macalester 5, Bethany Lutheran 3 (8 innings) In game one, both teams were kept scoreless through four complete innings. In the bottom of the fifth, the Vikings of Bethany Lutheran were able to get three runs across the plate on three hits and one Macalester error to take a 3-0 lead.
The Scots remained scoreless in the sixth, but made an exciting comeback in the top of the seventh.
Brittany Ehmann started the rally for the Scots, homering to left field to draw Macalester within two.
Nikki Caicedo followed up with a solo homerun of her own and the lead was cut to one.
Abby Cox knocked in an RBI single to center to score
Anna Munson and send the game into extras.
In the top of the eighth, Caicedo kept her hot streak alive, blasting a two-run bomb over the left center fence to score the game winning runs.
Caicedo went three for four at the plate with a game-high three RBI's.
Abby Cox collected two hits for the Scots. Macalester posted nine hits in the game to Bethany Lutheran's two.
Brittany Ehmann earned the win on the mound. Ehmann pitched eight complete innings and gave up just two hits and struck out six. Her record improves to 6-2 in the circle this season.
Game Two: Macalester 8, Bethany Lutheran 0 (6 innings) The Scots kept their momentum going in game two, scoring two runs in the first, two in the third, three in the fourth and one more in the sixth to soar to an 8-0 run-rule victory.
Macalester's bats were hot, allowing them to collect 13 hits to the Vikings' four.
Saraswati Wilson led all players with three hits in the game and two RBI's. Wilson recorded her fifth homerun of the season.
Abby Cox and
Brittany Ehmann each posted two hits in the game.
Miranda Stokes collected her sixth homerun of the season and first year pitcher,
Logan Tootle, recorded her first career hit, an RBI single to right field to score the eighth and final run of the night.
Miranda Stokes started on the mound and pitched four complete innings, giving up two hits, no runs and striking out six.
Logan Tootle relieved Stokes in the final two innings and gave up two hits and no runs. With the win, Stokes' pitching record improves to 4-3 this season.
The Scots doubleheader on Tuesday, March 31 can be followed on our live video portal at:
http://portal.stretchinternet.com/macalester/
