ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — The Macalester College softball team returned for their third and fourth games in two days today, this time at Saint Benedict. The Scots dropped the first game 1-0 but returned for an emphatic 6-3 win in the second. Mac moves to 19-9 in all on the season and 6-4 in the MIAC. The Bennies shift to 15-11 overall and 7-3 in the MIAC.
In the first game, the Scots played stellar defense but fell short on offense. Neither team did much of anything on that side of the ball for the first five-and-a-half innings. The diamond saw a lot of three-up-three-down ball until the sixth, when the Bennies notched a double — their first and only hit of the game — and managed to capitalize on it, bringing their baserunner home two at-bats later with a sacrifice fly.
Sophomore Alli Johnson (Waukee, Iowa/Northwest) wailed a single into center field for Mac's second hit of the game as desperation set in with two outs in the top of the seventh, but the Scots couldn't capitalize on it. Sophomore Martha Miller (Medford, Wis./Medford) pitched all six with three strikeouts, one run, one hit, one error and no walks in the narrow defeat.
The rematch saw the Scots return with a vengeance. After seven innings without a run and just two hits, senior Renee Nicholson (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) bunted for a single on the first at-bat of the game and rounded home just two at-bats later off a single to left field from first year Ally Wolf (Valencia, Calif./Valencia). Macalester would continue to roll in the second, with Nicholson sacrificing herself on a bunt to bring sophomore Alli Johnson (Waukee, Iowa/Northwest) across the plate.
The Bennies evened things up in the top of the third, but after a scoreless fourth inning for both teams, Nicholson added another run to the Scots' tally when senior Sophie Futchko (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) singled to center field. After a few more empty frames, the Scots slammed the door on the Bennies in the top of the seventh. Futchko doubled to bring Nicholson home once more, then scored herself off a Wolf triple to right field. After two outs, Wolf got her due when she came home on a right field single from sophomore Elizabeth Welch (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North).
While the Bennies logged another run in the bottom of the seventh, it was all for naught. Miller recorded her second win of the weekend after she pitched another seven innings to bring her total to 13 innings pitched on the day and 18.1 over the last two days. She struck out four batters, walked four and allowed five hits and two runs in today's victory.
Scot batters produced a much better performance in the second game. Nicholson went 2-for-3 at the plate, scored three runs and collected another RBI. Wolf also went 2-for-3, with one run and two RBIs, including her triple in the seventh. Futchko logged a strong performance as well: 2-for-4, a run and two RBIs, including that double.
These Scots will get a couple days off before they return on Wednesday, April 16 to face Gustavus at the Macalester Softball Complex in St. Paul, Minn. The first game of the doubleheader will begin at 4:30 p.m.
