CLERMONT, Fla. – The St. Olaf College softball team began its time at THE Spring Games by splitting games against No. 24 UW-Oshkosh and Grinnell College on Thursday at Legends Way Stadium.
In its first game in The Sunshine State, St. Olaf (4-6) was shut out, 4-0, by undefeated and nationally-ranked UW-Oshkosh (15-0) despite getting 11 runners on base in the game. The Oles rebounded from being blanked for the first time this season by holding off Grinnell (7-4) by a 5-3 score to secure the split.
St. Olaf takes on UW-Stevens Point (8 a.m. CDT) and Hope College (10:30 a.m. CDT) on Friday, March 24 at Diamondplex in Clermont.
No. 24 UW-Oshkosh 4, St. Olaf 0 | Box Score
Maddie Fink threw a six-hit shutout to pitch the Titans to a win in St. Olaf's first game of the day, working around five walks and striking out four to improve to 7-0 on the season. The righthander has allowed just three runs (two earned) in 55.0 innings of work this spring, good for an ERA of 0.25.
UW-Oshkosh gave Fink all the run support she would need in the second by plating three runs before adding an insurance run in the sixth. Junior
Jaelyn Orth suffered the loss after allowing three runs on three hits over the first 1.1 innings before
Madyn Singleton worked the final 5.2 frame. Singleton limited the Titans to one run on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts in her first-career appearance in the circle.
After Fink stranded two Oles on base to end the first, UW-Oshkosh scored their first two runs in the second without getting a ball out of the infield, scoring on an infield single with a throwing error on the play. Later in the frame, Gabby Buikema delivered a two-out, run-scoring single for the final run of the inning.
Brianna Davis capped a 3-for-3 game with an RBI single in the sixth for the Titans. St. Olaf got at least one runner on base in six of its seven innings at the plate, including filling the bases with two outs in the seventh before Fink got the final out.
St. Olaf 5, Grinnell 3 | Box Score
A two-run home run by sophomore
Emma Simons helped St. Olaf get out to an early 3-0 lead over Grinnell, but the Oles were forced to hold on in the final inning. Trailing by two, the Pioneers loaded the bases with two outs before Singleton got a pop up to end the game.
Singleton earned her first collegiate victory by throwing 3.2 innings of one-hit shutout ball with three walks and one strikeout. Junior
Jenna Peschel allowed just two hits over the first 3.1 innings, allowing three runs with seven walks and three strikeouts.
After senior
Andrea Conway drew a walk to open the top of the second, Simons belted a two-run shot to center to open the scoring with her second home run of the season and the third of her career. Conway added a run-scoring single with two outs in the third to bring in junior
Hannah Peschel, who doubled with two outs and nobody on before fifth-year senior
Tarah DeCroock reached on an infield hit.
Grinnell made it a one-run game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, but St. Olaf got one of the runs back in the next half inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of junior
Anne Fossum.
Jenna Peschel opened the inning with a double down the left-field line before moving up a base on a sacrifice bunt by junior
Katie Weisheit.
The Pioneers again got within a run in the home half of the fourth, scoring on a bases-loaded walk before Singleton got a strikeout looking to end the frame and keep the Oles on top.
Hannah Peschel provided an insurance run for St. Olaf in the top of the seventh with a two-out, run-scoring double to deep left for the final run of the game.
Grinnell did not go quietly in the seventh, filling the bases with two outs on a hit batter, a single, and a walk, but Singleton got a pinch hitter to pop out to Conway at second to end the game. Fossum snared a pair of hard-hit liners for the first two outs of the inning to help the Oles close out the victory.
