Softball 4/29/08 -- Augsburg 9, Bethel 3
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ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (4/29/08) -- At the beginning of the 2008 season, the Augsburg College softball team was picked by league coaches to finish in last place in the 12-team Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings.
But the Auggies have proven the coaches' preseason predictions to be mistaken.
For the first time in program history, the Auggies will advance to the four-team MIAC playoffs -- qualifying for postseason play for the first time since 1984 -- after clinching the No. 4 spot in the conference tournament with a 9-3 victory over host Bethel University on Tuesday evening at the Ona North Complex.
After finishing 4-34 overall (3-19 MIAC) last season, Augsburg is now 18-21 overall, 14-7 in MIAC play, its most victories in overall play since 1998 (19-19) and its most wins in conference play since 1992 (16-4). Augsburg's last postseason appearance was in the 1984 season, when it won the MIAC title and qualified for the NCAA Division III national playoffs.
The Auggies will complete the regular season with the second half of the split doubleheader against the Royals on Wednesday (4/30) at 5:30 p.m. at the Ona North Complex. Augsburg clinched its playoff berth after eliminating Bethel (17-17 overall, 9-10 MIAC) from playoff contention and after St. Mary's (15-21 overall, 13-9 MIAC) ended its season after being swept (5-0, 15-2) by conference regular-season champion St. Thomas (37-3, 22-0 MIAC) on Wednesday afternoon.
The MIAC postseason playoffs will be held on Friday and Saturday (5/2-3) at the Rice Creek Fields in Shoreview, Minn. Augsburg will be the No. 4 seed, facing No. 1 seed St. Thomas in the opening game on Friday at 3 p.m. Gustavus (28-6 overall, 16-4 MIAC) and Hamline (24-12 overall, 16-6 MIAC) will meet in the other tournament-opening game on Friday at 3 p.m. The MIAC has held a postseason tournament since the 2004 season.
Jessa Hinz (FY, Richfield, Minn.) led the way for the Auggies in Tuesday's victory over the Royals, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI and three runs scored. Jennifer Castillo (FY, Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn HS) went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI, and Sarah Mueller (JR, Green Bay, Wis./Southwest HS) went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Jolene Ross (SR, Arden Hills, Minn./Mounds View HS) went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
Pitching in relief of starter Melissa Larsen (JR, Andover, Minn.), Sarah Green (JR, Winnebago, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS) struck out three while walking four in 5.2 innings of work to score the victory, improving to 11-11 on the season.
For Bethel, Molly Trombley (SR, Stacy, Minn./Forest Lake HS), Tonia Erickson (SO, Welcome, Minn./Martin County West HS) and Lauren Habisch (SO, Lakeville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) had two hits apiece, with Habisch scoring two runs. Karina Roe (JR, Grey Eagle, Minn.) drove in two runs for the Royals. Charitey Rowden (SO, Shellsburg, Iowa/Vinton-Shellsburg HS) pitched 5.2 innings of relief for the Royals, striking out three.
Augsburg built leads of 7-0 and 9-1, before the Royals rallied with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to stave off an early ending to the game via the NCAA's eight-run rule.
The Auggies sent nine batters to the plate and scored three runs in the first inning, as Castillo drove in a run on a fielder's choice, Hinz singled to drive in a run and Laura Strandell (FY, Pine Island, Minn.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Nine more batters came to the plate in the second inning, as the Auggies scored four runs. Castillo drove in a run on a single, Hinz doubled to drive in a run and a Strandell single plated two runs. An RBI double by Hinz and RBI single by Mueller in the fourth inning completed the Auggie scoring.
Bethel scored a run in the second inning on a fielder's choice, and scored twice on RBI singles by Kelly Berg (FY, South Haven, Minn./Annandale HS) and Roe in the fifth inning.
