MANKATO, Minn. – The St. Olaf College softball team began its season with one-run losses to Bethany Lutheran College and the University of Northwestern (Minn.) at the Bethany Kwik Trip Invitational on Saturday at the Maverick All-Sports Dome at Minnesota State University.

To start the day, St. Olaf (0-2) overcame an early 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead before falling to Bethany Lutheran (2-3) by a 6-5 score. In game two, the Oles mounted a seventh-inning rally to cut a 5-2 deficit to 5-4 but came up a run short in a 5-4 loss to Northwestern (1-1).

Junior Shreya Ashok led St. Olaf offensively by going 5-for-8 with two doubles, a run and a stolen base, while classmate Hannah Peschel was 4-for-7 with a double, two runs, two RBI, and one stolen base. Sophomore Amelia Christenson also drove in a pair of runs and was 3-for-7 at the plate with a double.

Bethany Lutheran 6, St. Olaf 5 | Box Score

After digging itself a 3-0 hole, St. Olaf scored four runs in the third – highlighted by a two-run home run by sophomore Emma Simons – to take the lead, but Bethany Lutheran used a three-run sixth inning to reclaim the lead and held on for the one-run win.

The Vikings benefitted from three walks and an error to score two unearned runs in the top of the first and added a run in the third to go up 3-0, but the Oles answered with four runs in the home half of the third. Peschel doubled in senior Maya Patty after Patty singled to start the inning and came around to score on a ground out by fifth-year senior Tarah DeCroock. With two outs in the inning, sophomore Medora Rylee laced a double to left to keep the inning alive for Simons, who lined a two-run home run to right-center field to put St. Olaf on top.

The Oles threatened to extend their lead in the fourth by loading the bases with one out but failed to score. Bethany Lutheran grabbed the lead back with three runs on three hits in the sixth, getting the go-ahead two-run single by Emily Doyle to break a 4-4 tie. St. Olaf filled the bases with one out in the next half inning and got a run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior Anne Fossum, but the Vikings threw out a runner at second on the play to end the frame and stay ahead.

Kayla Senne picked up the complete-game win for Bethany Lutheran, improving to 2-1 on the season after allowing five runs (four earned) on 11 hits with three walks and seven strikeouts. Junior Jaelyn Orth threw a complete game for St. Olaf, allowing six runs (three earned) on 11 hits with four walks and nine strikeouts.

Northwestern 5, St. Olaf 4 | Box Score

Northwestern broke a 2-2 tie with a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh to build a 5-2 lead before St. Olaf rallied in the final half inning. The Oles pushed across two runs to make it a one-run game and had the tying run on base, but the Eagles got a fly ball to right to close out the game.

Ashok recorded the second four-hit game of her collegiate career, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, a run, and a stolen base, while Peschel was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Christenson knocked in two runs with a double in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2.

The Eagles took advantage of an error to open the scoring with an unearned run in the top of the first and doubled their lead with another run in the top for the fourth. Down by two, the Oles put their first two hitters on base in the home half of the fourth and, after a sacrifice bunt, Christenson tied the game with a double down the left-field line.

Another St. Olaf error led to an unearned run for Northwestern in the top of the fifth before the Eagles stretched their lead to 5-2 with a two-run single by Grace Bentley in the seventh. In the final half inning, senior Annie Landon drew a one-out walk and Ashok followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position for Patty, who brought in one run with a ground out. Peschel proceeded to bring the Oles within one with a run-scoring single to plate Ashok, but Ireland Strubbe finished off her complete game for Northwestern by getting the final out.

Strubbe allowed four runs on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts to pick up the win in her collegiate debut for the Eagles. Junior Jenna Peschel suffered the loss after surrendering five runs (three earned) on four hits with five walks and three strikeouts over 6.1 innings in the circle. First year Roxanne Ring retired both batters she faced in her first collegiate appearance.

St. Olaf takes on Buena Vista University (1 p.m.) and UW-Eau Claire (3 p.m.) to complete its opening weekend in Mankato on Sunday, Feb. 26. Both opponents are coming off NCAA Tournament appearances last season.