Softball 4/30/08 -- Augsburg 2, Bethel 1
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ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (4/30/08) -- Jennifer Castillo (FY, Minneapolis, Minn./Washburn HS) went 2-for-4 at the plate and scored the eventual game-winning run on a single by Jessa Hinz (FY, Richfield, Minn.) in the fifth inning, delivering Augsburg College a 2-1 victory over Bethel University in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball contest on Wednesday evening at the Ona North Complex.
Whitney Restemayer (SO, Bemidji, Minn.) scored the first run of the game for the Auggies, walking, stealing second and coming across on a wild pitch in the fifth inning. Castillo and teammate Sarah Mueller (JR, Green Bay, Wis./Southwest HS) stole two bases for the Auggies in the game.
Augsburg finishes the regular season 19-21 overall, 15-7 in MIAC play, its most victories in overall play since 1998 (19-19) and its most wins in conference play since 1992 (16-4). The Auggies improved 15 victories from last year's 4-34 overall (3-19 MIAC) record.
Augsburg will compete in this weekend's MIAC postseason playoffs at the Rice Creek Fields in Shoreview, Minn., marking its first postseason appearance since 1984, when it won the MIAC title and qualified for the NCAA Division III national playoffs. Augsburg will be the No. 4 seed in the four-team tournament, facing No. 1 seed St. Thomas (37-3 overall, 22-0 MIAC) in the opening game on Friday (5/2) at 3 p.m. No. 2 seed Gustavus (30-6 overall, 18-4 MIAC) and No. 3 seed 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.
Augsburg pitchers Melissa Larsen (JR, Andover, Minn.) and Sarah Green (JR, Winnebago, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS) limited Bethel to just five hits -- all singles -- in the game, with the Royals stranding seven runners on base. Green started, but was relieved by Larsen in the fourth inning. Larsen was credited with the victory in relief, with Green pitching a scoreless seventh inning to claim the save. Green struck out one while walking one and allowing two hits, while Larsen allowed just three hits and one run in three innings of work.
Bethel scored its lone run in the sixth inning, as Molly Trombley (SR, Stacy, Minn./Forest Lake HS) scored on a groundout by Kelly Berg (FY, South Haven, Minn./Annandale HS). Rebecca Akerson (FY, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North HS) struck out six while walking six in a complete-game pitching effort for Bethel.
