Softball 4/28/05 -- St. Benedict 9-10, Augsburg 0-6 (1st game 5 inn.)

GAME 1 BOXSCORE
GAME 2 BOXSCORE

MINNEAPOLIS (4/28/05) -- Leadoff hitter Michelle Boys (Sr., Eden Prairie, Minn./Minnetonka HS) went 5-for-7 at the plate with three runs scored and two RBI in the doubleheader, as her College of St. Benedict softball team scored a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep of host Augsburg College on Thursday evening at Augsburg's Edor Nelson Field.

St. Benedict claimed a 9-0 victory in five innings in the first game, then survived a late Augsburg rally to score a 10-6 win in the second game. The Blazers are now 20-11 overall, 12-8 in MIAC play. Augsburg, in its final home doubleheader of the season, drops to 8-24 overall, 4-16 in MIAC play, having lost its last seven games in a row.

Boys went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI in the first game, then went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in the second game.

Blazer pitchers Christina Gardner (So., Arvada, Colo./Holy Family HS) and Lindsey Peterson (Sr., Hopkins, Minn.) combined for a one-hit shutout in the first game, with Gardner striking out six while walking one in four innings of work, and Peterson pitching a scoreless fifth.

Augsburg had just two baserunners in the first game, on a single by Melynda Kleewein (Sr., Anchorage, Alaska/Dimond HS) and walk in the fourth inning. But the runners were stranded at first and third, as a strikeout ended the Auggie threat.

After scoring a run in the first inning on an RBI double by Jinnie Regli (So., Lakeville, Minn.), the Blazers sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs in the second. Boys had an RBI single, Kristin Beranek (Jr., New Ulm, Minn./Cathedral HS) drove in two runs on a single and Megan Jahnke (Sr., Richmond, Minn./Rocori HS) drove in a run on a grounder.

Boys scored on an error in the fourth inning, and the Blazers clinched the early victory in the fifth inning, as Gillian Glass (Sr., St. Paul, Minn./Hill-Murray HS) drove in two runs on a double and Brittney Johnson (So., St. Cloud, Minn./Tech HS) plated a run on a single.

Gardner went 3-for-4 for the Blazers in the first game, while Boys, Beranek and Patty Devoy (Fr., Mendota Heights, Minn./Visitation HS) had two hits apiece. Boys, Beranek, Devoy and Glass scored two runs each.

Augsburg pitcher Shelley Harris (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Southwest HS) took the loss in the first game, pitching a complete game. She struck out two, but allowed 13 hits and one walk. Just four of the nine runs against her were earned, however, as Augsburg committed four errors.

St. Benedict built a 10-0 lead in the second game, but Augsburg rallied with six runs in its half of the fifth inning to extend the contest.

A five-run first inning, in which the Blazers sent nine hitters to the plate, gave the visitors the early cushion. A two-run double by Gardner, an RBI single by Devoy and an RBI grounder by Cassie Schlangen (Jr., Freeport, Minn./Melrose HS) brought runs across in the first. Three more runs came across in the third, as Schlangen drove in a run on a sacrifice fly, and two more runs came across on a fielding error and a wild pitch. St. Benedict scored twice in the fifth, as Devoy scored on a wild pitch and Schlangen came home on a single by Boys.

St. Benedict starter Monica Eiden (So., Maple Grove, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) shut down the Auggies early, only allowing one hit in her first four innings of work.

But against reliever Kim Murphy (Fr., St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral HS), Augsburg sent 10 batters to the plate in the sixth inning and took advantage of two St. Benedict errors on one play to cut into the Blazer lead. With one out and runners on first and third after singles by Jodi Boyd (Jr., Hartley, Iowa/Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn HS) and Marissa Lindback (So., Minneapolis, Minn./South HS), pinch-hitter Hilary Neste (So., Spooner, Wis.) hit a fielder's choice to drive in a run. Another pinch hitter, Lisa Uehling (So., Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS), drove in a run on a single, and a bunt single by Jolene Ross (Fr., Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View HS) loaded the bases.

Augsburg's Kleewein then hit a sharp grounder to first, and the throw home for the force attempt was wild. Another throw on the same play was wild, enabling Augsburg to clear the bases and deposit Kleewein on third after the two-error play. She then scored on a fielder's choice by Kati Tweeten (So., Spring Grove, Minn.), cutting the advantage to 10-6.

Eiden returned to pitch in the sixth, and shut down the Auggies in order in both the sixth and seventh innings to record the win. She ended up with four strikeouts in the contest, not walking a batter and allowing just one hit in six innings of work.

Augsburg's Tweeten pitched a complete game, striking out two while walking one. She also allowed 13 hits, with six earned runs charged to her.

Regli and Devoy both went 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the second game for St. Benedict.

Both teams close their regular seasons with doubleheaders on the road on Saturday (4/30) at 1 p.m., with Augsburg playing at Bethel and St. Benedict playing at Hamline.