ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Hamline softball team (6-22, 3-19 MIAC) closed out their 2021 season on Monday afternoon, falling twice to #22 St. Olaf (21-3, 19-1 MIAC) at Meredith Field. The Pipers were outhit in the first game, dropping game one by a score of 4-1. In game two, HU held a lead for a good portion of the game, but the Oles rallied late to claim a 9-3 win.
GAME 1: ST. OLAF 4, HAMLINE 1
In game one, St. Olaf outhit the Pipers 7-2 on their way to a 4-1 win. Juniors
Amber Peterson and
Theresa Klinnert recorded the HU hits in the game and Klinnert also pitched all seven innings on the mound.
The Oles got on the board right away in the first inning as Hannah Matthies, who had three of the possible four RBIs in the gmae, drove in a run with a double to centerfield. They would add another run in the third when a double scored a runner from first, making it 2-0.
The Pipers would answer with a run in the fourth. Peterson got the inning started with a single to the shortstop and would get in scoring position after stealing second base and advancing to third on a wild pitch. After senior
Megan Rubbelke walked, Klinnert came up with a big hit to get Peterson home. Senior
Alex Molloy would also walk, loading the bases, but HU would strand three runners leaving the score at 2-1.
St. Olaf scored two more in the fifth when Matthies drove in two on a single up the middle, extending their lead to 4-1.
Ole pitcher Julie Graf and the St. Olaf defense finished out the game strong, retiring the final nine Hamline batters to secure the win.
Klinnert would take the loss, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out three.
GAME 2: ST. OLAF 9, HAMLINE 3
In game two, junior
Dana Rosbacka and the HU defense held St. Olaf to one run through the first five innings, but STO rallied for eight runs in the final two innings to come away with the 9-3 win and the doubleheader sweep.
The Pipers totaled eight hits in the loss, being led by two-hit games from Peterson and senior
April Jacobs.
The Oles took an early 1-0 lead after their leadoff batter singled, stole second, and was driven in on a single up the middle. HU had a chance to tie it in the bottom of the first inning when Peterson walked and stole second, but she would be stranded on second keeping the score at 1-0.
Both teams left a runner on in the second, but the Pipers broke through in the third, scoring two runs on four hits. Senior
Cora Stallcup and Peterson both reached on bunt singles to start the inning and Stallcup would score on an Ole throwing error on Peterson's bunt. Peterson was then driven in by a single from sophomore
Gabby Cook. Despite a Rubbelke double and a walk from Klinnert to load the bases, HU was not able to get any additional runs across, taking a 2-1 lead after three complete.
Hamline would strand three St. Olaf runners in the fourth inning, getting three straight outs with the bases loaded to maintain their one-run lead. They would stretch their lead to 3-1 in the fifth when Klinnert scored on a wild pitch after being hit by a pitch earlier in the inning.
The Ole bats came alive in the sixth, as they used five hits to score five runs, taking over the lead at 6-3. Three more hits and two Piper errors in the seventh allowed three more St. Olaf runs to score, making it 9-3, which it would stay, despite two HU runners getting on base in the bottom of the seventh.
Rosbacka pitched all seven innings for the Pipers, giving up seven earned runs on 18 hits while striking out two.
