MINNEAPOLIS --
Sam Anderson (SR, Coon Rapids, Minn./Coon Rapids HS) struck out 11 in her final career pitching performance at Edor Nelson Field, leading her Augsburg University softball team to a 2-1 win over in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title contender St. Catherine University in the opening game of Tuesday's doubleheader. The Auggies dropped the second game 5-0 to the Wildcats.
THE BASICS
SCORES: Augsburg 2, St. Catherine 1; St. Catherine 5, Augsburg 0
LOCATION: Edor Nelson Field, Minneapolis
RECORD: Augsburg 14-20 overall (6-12 MIAC), St. Catherine 24-10 overall (14-4 MIAC)
GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS
• With 11 strikeouts against just one walk and five hits, Anderson claimed her fourth double-digit strikeout performance of the season and 10th of her career. She now has 144 strikeouts on the season, giving her the top four strikeout seasons in Augsburg history -- 157 in 2016, 144 this season, 139 in 2017 and 131 in 2018. Anderson's 560 career strikeouts are a school record.
• WIth her ninth win of the season, Anderson has now broken Augsburg's career record for pitching victories with 49 (49-38), breaking the old mark of 48 held by Amy Hyland Baretz (1984-87). Her 13 career shutouts are also a school record, as are her 117 career pitching appearances. Her 594.1 innings pitched are third-most in Augsburg history.
• Anderson also helped her cause at the plate. After
Anesia King (JR, Isanti, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS) led off the first inning with a double and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Sarah Garcia (SO, St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS), Anderson gained an RBI on an infield groundout to put the Auggies ahead.
• St. Catherine tied the game in the third inning, but the Auggies gained the lead back in the bottom of the sixth, as a two-out RBI single by
Mackenzie Evenson (JR, St. Louis Park, Minn./St. Louis Park HS) drove home
Jacquline Nichols (SR, Royalton, Minn./Royalton HS). Anderson then struck out the St. Catherine side in the top of the seventh to score the victory.
• King went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Auggies in the opener.
GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS
• Augsburg surrendered five runs in the opening two innings and could not recover. Augsburg was held to just one hit in the game, a single by King to lead off the sixth inning.
• Pitcher
Elly Strunk (SO, Blooming Prairie, Minn./Blooming Prairie HS) struck out one against three walks and seven hits -- allowing just two hits in her final five innings of pitching.
FOR THE FOES
• Anna Hinderaker went 2-for-3 with a triple and a run scored in the first game for the Wildcats, while Autumn Mortenson went 2-for-4 with a double and run scored in the second game. Trish Sherman hit a three-run triple in the second game.
• Kathryn Proper had eight strikeouts against two walks in the first game, while Annabelle Schutte had nine strikeouts against four walks in the second game.
UP NEXT
• Augsburg travels to face Saint Mary's in a MIAC doubleheader on Wednesday (4/24) at 3:30 p.m.
• St. Catherine travels to face Macalester in a MIAC doubleheader on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.