WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The Saint Anselm College softball team picked up a 4-2 victory in Friday's opening game against Slippery Rock University and fell to Minot State University, 3-0, to conclude the day.
Saint Anselm exits the doubleheader with a record of 5-7 on the year. The Hawks conclude their second Florida trip of the season with back-to-back games against Wayne State (Michigan) and Caldwell at 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., respectively, on Saturday.
The Hawks generated just five hits across the two games, but did generate six walks and five hit-by-pitches. Senior Bre Klaiber (Ironton, Ohio) led the way with two hits, driving in two runs on the afternoon.
Sophomore Haile Hicks (Jefferson, N.H.) pitched well for the Hawks in the first game for Saint Anselm, allowing just two earned runs across seven innings with three strikeouts. Freshman Sophia DiPippo (Cranston, R.I.) allowed just two earned runs in game two, but Saint Anselm was kept off the scoreboard on offense.
Against Minot State in game two, senior Bailey Cain (Wellington, Fla.) threw out three baserunners trying to steal second, the most caught stealing in a game by a Hawks catcher since 2006 (Jessica Wilson vs. USciences, Mar. 7, 2006).
GAME ONE – Saint Anselm 4, Slippery Rock 2
The Hawks had two runners on in the bottom of the first, but could not generate a run as two fly-outs ended the inning. Slippery Rock struck first in the top of the second as a lead-off walk came around to score on an RBI single with one out.
Saint Anselm scored twice in the bottom of the third inning with two outs. Junior Kylie Fitzpatrick (Danville, N.H.) was hit by a pitch with two outs before Cain followed with a walk. Klaiber had the big hit of the game, smacking a two-run double to left field that drove in both baserunners.
Ahead by a 2-1 margin at that point, the Hawks tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore Gracie O'Hara (Shrewsbury, Mass.) was struck by a pitch and moved over to second base, thanks to a successful Fitzpatrick sacrifice. Sprinting up to third base on a passed ball, a sacrifice fly by Cain made it a 3-1 ballgame.
Two miscues in the field for Slippery Rock led to the fourth Hawks run. Klaiber hit a towering popup just feet in front of home plate, but nobody took charge until a late attempt by the first baseman was made. The ball caromed off her glove and into foul territory before the pitcher fired the ball toward second base and into the outfield, allowing the Saint Anselm shortstop to circle the bases.
A solo home run in the top of the sixth inning for Slippery Rock made it a 4-2 game. The Hawks allowed the tying run to bat in the top of the seventh inning after a two-out throwing error set the stage, but Hicks was able to get a groundout to end the game and lock down the win for Saint Anselm.
Hicks has allowed two or fewer runs in all but one of her seven starts on the season. She conceded just six hits on the afternoon to Slippery Rock, whose pitchers combined to yield just three hits but gave up the aforementioned four runs.
GAME TWO – Minot State 3, Saint Anselm 0
The Hawks could only generate two hits all afternoon against Minot State – Cain and Klaiber had the only hits in the game, leading off the top of the fourth inning with back-to-back singles. Saint Anselm loaded the bases in that stanza but could not score.
The Beavers scored two runs in the half inning prior, taking advantage of several miscues by the Hawks in the field. A booming double with the bases loaded struck the wall in center field, driving in the runner from third, but a successful relay from the outfield put the second runner out at the plate. The second run of the game came across as the Hawks made two consecutive errors on rundown plays.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Minot State made it 3-0 with an RBI single up the middle. Saint Anselm did well to get the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh inning, but the Hawks saw the day end on a strikeout with both runners in scoring position.
DiPippo allowed just two earned runs on the day, striking out two batters across six innings. Minot State was led by an eight strikeout performance in the circle by its starter, who gave up just two hits and induced 10 ground outs.
