MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Sophomores
Jaelyn Orth and
Jenna Peschel pitched the St. Olaf College softball team to 6-0 and 7-4 victories over Augsburg University on Tuesday at Edor Nelson Field to keep the Oles unbeaten in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play.
Orth threw a two-hit shutout in game one and Peschel followed with six scoreless innings in game two, as St. Olaf (13-13, 8-0 MIAC) picked up its fourth-straight sweep to begin conference play and ran its winning streak in the series with Augsburg (10-15, 2-8 MIAC) to eight games. The Oles have now started 8-0 in MIAC play in each of the last two seasons and four times in program history (1985, 1992, 2021, 2022).
St. Olaf hosts nationally-ranked Saint Ben's on Thursday, April 21 at 3:30 p.m. at Mabel Shirley Field. The Bennies were ranked No. 18 in this week's National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 poll.
St. Olaf 6, Augsburg 0 | Box Score
In the opener, Orth picked up her fifth-straight victory by tossing the first shutout of her career, allowing just two hits with no walks and six strikeouts. The sophomore needed just 70 pitches to throw the shutout and has not allowed an earned run over 24.0 innings during the stretch of five-straight wins.
The only hits Orth surrendered in the game were one-out singles in the fourth and fifth innings, as she retired the final eight batters of the game after the hit in the fifth. The St. Olaf offense scored twice in the second, once in the third, and three in the fifth.
The Oles scored the only runs Orth would need with two runs in the top of the second, scoring on a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt by senior
Kaleigh Santmyer and a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior
Maya Patty. St. Olaf extended its lead to 3-0 in the top of the third when sophomore
Anne Fossum drew a leadoff walk and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by junior
Andrea Conway.
In the fifth, the Oles loaded the bases with nobody out on a single by Fossum, a single by DeCroock, and a walk to Conway. After an infield fly, Augsburg committed another throwing error to allow two runs to score and Patty followed with a run-scoring single for the final run of the game.
Olivia O'Connor suffered the loss for the Auggies after yielding six runs (two earned) on four hits in 4.1 innings before Saryn Sherrell threw 2.2 shutout innings in relief.
St. Olaf 7, Augsburg 4 | Box Score
Peschel improved to 3-0 on the season by scattering four hits and three walks over six shutout innings in game two while striking out five. St. Olaf scored in five of the seven innings – including four of the first five – and drew 12 walks from Augsburg starter Brynn Hostettler in the victory.
The Oles had just five hits in the game but took advantage of the 12 walks to complete the sweep. Conway had a career-high three RBI and four hitters drew multiple free passes in the win.
St. Olaf jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first, as Conway delivered a two-run double to right center after Fossum and DeCroock got on via a hit by pitch and a walk. Augsburg had its best scoring chance in Peschel's six innings in the bottom of the first, but Peschel escaped a first-and-third, one-out jam with a fly ball and a pop up.
The Oles added to their lead in the second when sophomore
Hannah Peschel scored on a wild pitch in an inning that included two walks, two stolen bases, a bunt single, and the wild pitch. Conway drove in her third run of the game with a ground out in the fourth and J. Peschel helped her own cause with an RBI ground out in the fifth to make it a 5-0 game.
In the seventh, St. Olaf tacked on two more runs, filling the bases with three-straight walks before sophomore
Shreya Ashok drove a single through the left side and Fossum followed with bases-loaded walk. Augsburg avoided back-to-back shutouts with a four-run seventh that included a three-run triple by Sara Deming.
Hostettler went the distance in the circle for the Auggies, giving up seven runs (all earned) on five hits while striking out eight in addition to the 12 walks.
