Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Number two and climbing fast. In a nutshell, that describes the Hamine softball team. The Pipers brought the big bats and a broom to Winona Tuesday, sweeping St. Mary's, 9-5 and 9-1 in five innings. Hamline suddenly has a five-game winning streak that has vaulted them into second place in the MIAC race with a 9-3 mark (13-9 overall).

As was the case last Saturday at Augsburg, HU won a tight first game and rolled to victory in the second. 

Laura Randall (pictured) stretched her hitting streak to six games in a row with the sweep. The senior outfielder went 4-for-6 in the doubleheader with four RBI. She drilled a two-run homer to cap the scoring in the lidlifter and knocked in another pair in the nightcap. She has now taken over the team lead in doubles (6), batting average (.345), RBIs (20), Total Bases (37) and Slugging Average (.638). 

Game 1 started well for the visitors. Randall and Jamie Rubbelke had RBI singles as HU jumped to a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Lauren Turitto's 2 RBI double keyed a three-run 5th inning that pushed the Pipers to a 5-0 edge. The Cardinals came to life in the bottom of the inning, scoring five times (two unearned) to tie the game.

Lauren Clouston, however, untied it with her second home run of the season in the sixth. Randall added a two-run shot of her own in the same frame. Clouston took care of the rest, upping her won-loss mark to 5-4 with the CG win. Bethany Hine went 3-4 and scored three times to pace the 11-hit attack.

The Pipers picked up where they left off in Game 2, scoring in all five innings. Samantha Mau smacked a pair of solo home runs, Randall went 2-3 with two RBI and Jenna Dushaw also knocked in two runs as part of another 11-hit assault on SMU pitching.

Bri Vela scattered six hits with no walks and two strikeouts to improve her won-loss mark to 8-4 overall.

The softballers are now beginning to resemble their basketball counterparts. Like the hoopsters, they were lightly regarded in the annual coaches'  preseason poll.

Despite playing just two games at Meredith Field, they stand alone in second place in the league. But there is little time to rest on laurels. Weather and field conditions permitting, they are scheduled to play at Meredith Wednesday against Carleton at 3:30 p.m. and at St. Olaf on Thursday (also 3:30). On the weekend, they will set to face Bethel, the league's top hitting team (.352 BA) on Saturday in Arden Hills. Next Sunday, they will host league leader St. Thomas at Meredith in a 1:00 p.m. pair.