HELP WANTED: Looking for a little help in keeping season alive. Successful applicant must possess two wins over St. Olaf, and must answer to the nickname “Auggie.” Apply to:
Jen Miller, Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball coach.
NORTHFIELD, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team did its part Sunday afternoon.
Augsburg, however, couldn't say the same.
SMU feasted on Carleton pitching to the tune of 9-1 and 10-2 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victories, but in order for the Cardinals to earn a spot in the four-team conference playoffs, they needed Augsburg to do the same — sweep its final two MIAC games against St. Olaf.
They didn't, as St. Olaf officially eliminated SMU from playoff contention with a 2-1 victory in Game 1.
“It's tough,” said SMU coach
Jen Miller. “We knew we had to take care of our business, and then get a little help (to get into the playoffs). We did our part, we just didn't get the help we needed.”
SMU certainly didn't need any help against the Knights, as the Cardinals banged out 27 hits en route to their 19 runs in the conference-ending sweep.
The Cardinals scored all the runs they would need in the first inning of the opener, getting an RBI single by
Kellie Simons (Richfield, Minn.) and a two-run home run off the bat of
Mallory Betzold (Farmington, Minn.) to take a 3-0 advantage.
Carleton answered with a solo run in the bottom of the first, but the Cardinals answered with two-run innings in the second, sixth and seventh innings to seal the lopsided win.
Joanna Mangan (Chicago, Ill.) paced SMU's 14-hit Game 1 attack, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored, while Betzold and
Katy Gannon (Roselle, Ill.) each added two hits. Gannon — who, like Betzold delivered a two-run home run — and Simons also drove in two runs.
SMU picked up right where they left off in Game 2, scoring 10 times in their first at-bat in rolling to the 10-2, sweep-clinching victory. The Cardinals sent 16 batters to the plate en route to their 10-run inning, with Betzold, Gannon and
Angie Diercks (Red Wing, Minn.) all delivering two-run hits — Diercks a single, Betzold a double and Gannon a triple.
Paige Carter (Rosemount, Minn.) went 3-for-3 to fuel the Cardinals' attack, with Gannon, Simons,
Erin Stenseth (Eau Claire, Wis.) and
Nicole Olson (New Brighton, Minn.) all adding two hits.
The Cardinals, who close out their MIAC schedule with a 13-9 conference mark — while improving to 16-22 overall — return to action on Tuesday, traveling to UW-River Falls for a 4 p.m. season-ending nonconference doubleheader against the Falcons.
