After progressing from their pool at last weekend’s MIAC playoffs, the softball team ended their season after they were eliminated in the final four.
St. Olaf 15-17 won twice to claim a spot in the elimination round. In their Pool C match ups, the third-seeded Oles scored a comfortable 10-3 win over Concordia College to set up a thrilling must-win game against sixth-seeded Hamline University.
Hamline scored a pair in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 9-9, which is where things stood in the bottom of the seventh inning. St. Olaf loaded the bases with no outs and Maggie Schloer ’13 delivered a walk-off sacrifice fly to cap a 10-9 win and send the team on to Saturday’s play. Mackenzie Wolter ’13, Alex Lebens ’16 and Haley Schreier ’15 each had three hits for the Oles.
In the final four, however, second-seeded Bethel proved to be too much for the Oles, as the Royals consistently put runs on the board in a 10-2 win that was called after six innings. Bethel scored three in the second, two in the third, two in the fourth, one in the fifth and two final runs in the sixth, which enacted the eight-run rule. Julie Fergus ’13 led the Oles offensively, going 2-for-2, and Becca Walz ’16 and Jessica Wilson ’13 were both 1-for-3 with a run.
Following the defeat, the Oles fell to Gustavus Adolphus College 2-11 in a loss that ended the team’s post-season run. The Gusties did most of their damage during an eight-run third inning and allowed just two second-inning runs to the Oles in the victory. Lebens performed strongly at the plate to lead the Oles, going 3-for-3 with a double and a run. Haley Schreier was 1-for-2, including a home run, and Wilson and Fergus were each 1-for-3 in the season-ending loss for St. Olaf.
