Hamline University Athletics

Amanda Orrell sure knows how to make an exit. the California native made her last games at Meredith Field ones to remember as she went 3-for-6 with a home run and a pair of RBIs as the Piper softball team guaranteed themselves a return to the MIAC playoffs with a split of a doubleheader with Augsburg. 

Orrell's homer, her second of the season, was a boomer over the center field fence. The senior leads Hamline (and is fourth in the MIAC) with an impressive .420 batting average. She is also fourth in the MIAC in Hits with 50 and recently joined the school's 100-hit mark for her career, a notewrothy achievement considering she has only been here two years.

But the number that may be the most eyecatching is a small digit -- 2. That is the number of times Amanda has struck out this year.

Orrell and the Pipers(22-10 overall, 15-7 MIAC) have non-conference games Monday at Northwestern and Tuesday at Wis-River Falls. Then, it's on to St. Thomas' field this weekend for the conference tournament and a chance to go to the school's first NCAA tournament berth ever. More sweet swings are on the way.