04/08/2024
By: Dan Genzler, Athletic Media Relations Director
ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- The College of Saint Benedict softball team (9-11, 4-0 MIAC), which has compiled a seven-game winning streak, will travel to face Concordia-Moorhead (5-15, 0-4 MIAC) on Tuesday, April 9 in Moorhead, Minn. The Bennies sit in a tie for first place tie with Bethel, Gustavus and Saint Mary's.
After the league doubleheader, CSB will host St. Catherine (8-14, 2-4 MIAC) on Saturday, April 13. The Bennies are 6-0 at home this season.
Saint Benedict opens season with top-five schedule
TheBennieshave faced one of the toughest schedules in NCAA DIII with eight games of 14 played against teams ranked in the NFCA NCAA DIII top 25. Among its three wins, CSB had a walk-off 11-9 win over then No. 12 Belhaven asOlivia Tautgeshit a dramatic three-run, game-winning home run. TheBenniesrecorded a 5-4 win over Emory University of March 7 asOlivia Wallacerecorded her first win of her career. In addition, CSB had a come-from-behind 6-3 extra innings (11 innings) victory over Central College on Saturday, March 30 asSammy Muetzelhad a sacrifice fly to give CSB a 4-3 lead beforeMaddy Kubik'stwo-run single pushed the lead to 6-3 in the decisive 11thinning. Against Central College, CSB had a career-best pitching performance fromEllie Peterson, who worked 11 innings, had six strikeouts, and allowed just one earned run. CSB now has two wins over top-25 opponents this season.
Against Coe College on March 23, theBenniesdropped 5-4 and 4-1 decisions at the Husky Dome as the snowstorm that hit the area prevented games from being play at the CSB Softball Field. On March 29, CSB dropped 7-1 and 6-5 decisions to Wartburg (12-9) before splitting a pair of games with No. 24 Central College (13-6) falling, 8-1, before winning 6-3 in extra innings in game two on March 30. Since defeating No. 24 Central College in 11 innings, CSB has won six more games in a row to extend the winning streak to seven games – a season high. CSB defeated St. Olaf, 8-3 and 7-2 on April 3; UW-Stout, 10-2 and 2-1 on April 4; and Augsburg, 9-0, and 9-0 on April 6.
Inside Look at Bennies
Led by 11th-year head coach Rachael Click, the Bennies are hitting. 295 for ninth in the MIAC with a .746 OPS as a team. The Bennies have 164 hits, including eight home runs, 30 doubles and three triples. Bryn Ruhberg is pacing CSB with a .412 batting average and she owns a .971 OPS with 21 hits and a .500 on-base percentage. With a .650 average in the past six games (13 hits in 20 at bats), senior Bryn Carlstrom has pushed her season-average to .375 and owns a .812 OPS with a team-high 24 hits and 11 RBI. Sophom*ore outfielder Olivia Tautges is hitting .340 with a 1.031 OPS, five home runs and 18 RBI. Sophom*ore infielder Cat Smetana is batting .338 with an .891 OPS, 11 RBI and 22 hits while Maddy Kubik has a .320 batting average. In the circle, sophom*oreEllie Peterson (4-4) and junior Addy Bowne (4-1) lead the way with each making 12 appearances. Peterson has a team-high 56.2 innings with nine starts and team-best 38 strikeouts. Sophom*ore Olivia Wallace has made a team-high 13 appearances with eight starts while working 37.2 innings with 21 strikeouts.
About the Cobbers
Directed by interim head coach Scott Carter, the Cobbers have a 5-15 record and 0-4 in league play with five straight losses. Leading Concordia's offense is Kailee Falconer who is batting .475 with 10 RBI and 28 hits. Karissa Finnigan is batting .385 with 10 hits. In the circle, Mallory Leitner is 2-5 with a 4.33 earned run average in 10 appearances and seven starts. Karissa Finnigan is 1-6 with a 5.53 earned run average in nine appearances with seven starts.
Series Notes – Bennies lead, 52-18
After a 7-0 win in the last match-up on April 28, 2023, with Concordia, the Bennies have built a series lead of 52-18. CSB has won two straight in the series and had an 11-game winning streak from April 11, 2015, to April 3, 2021. CSB is 26-11 at Concordia and 24-6 at home against the Cobbers with a 51-17 league mark. The Bennies, 9-1 in the last 10 games, won the first matchup 5-2 on March 28, 1987.
By the numbers – 7-game win streak
During the seven-game winning streak, CSB has hit .396 to just .172 to opponents. Sophom*ore centerfielderOlivia Tautgeshas led CSB with a .600 batting average, collecting 15 hits in 25 at bats with three doubles, three home runs, 10 runs, 13 RBI and 27 total bases. Tautges had a .615 on-base percentage and a 1.080 slugging mark. With that torrid streak, Tautges jumped her season batting average to .340, OPS to 1.031 with team-highs in home runs with five and RBI with 18. Sophom*ore infielderSammy Muetzelhit .571 with eight hits while seniorBryn Carlstrombatted .520 with 13 hits in 25 at bats with six RBI as she is now hitting.375 on the season. Also, for CSB juniorAddy Bownehit .500 at the plate with seven hits and four RBI. In the circle, she was 3-0 with a 2.40 earned run average in four appearances. Sophom*oreEllie Petersoncompiled a 4-0 record with a 1.55 earned run average and 19 strikeouts in 29 innings.
Olivia Tautges named MIAC, St. Cloud Orthopedics Athlete of the Week
After hitting .600 and driving in 12 runs in six wins, sophom*ore outfielderOlivia Tautgesof the College of Saint Benedict softball team (9-11, 4-0 MIAC), has been named the St. Cloud Orthopedics / CSB Athletics Player of the Week. Tautges, an environmental studies major from Brainerd, Minn., earned her first St. Cloud Orthopedics / CSB Athlete of the Week honor. Earlier on Monday, she was received her first MIAC Player of the Week honor. She is the 13thplayer at CSB to earn MIAC Player of the Week honors and the CSB program now has had 20 total award recipients. This week,Tautgeshelped CSB go 6-0, including 4-0 in the MIAC, while extending the team's winning streak to seven games by her outstanding play at the plate and in the field. She had a .600 batting average with 12 hits in 20 at bats, including three home runs and 12 RBI. She scored nine runs and also had a pair of doubles to go with 23 total bases.Tautgesregistered a 1.150 slugging mark and .619 OBP. Additionally, she had a stolen base, walk, and fielded five putouts while fielding 1.000.After her torrid hitting display,Tautgesextended her hitting streak to seven games while recording four multi-hit and multi-RBI games as theBenniesswept St. Olaf, 8-3 and 7-2; UW-Stout, 10-2 and 2-1; and Augsburg, 9-0, and 9-0. In the doubleheader sweep of the Oles on April 3 (8-3, 7-2) Tautges was 6-of-7 at the plate with three runs scored and five RBI. In 8-3 win over St. Olaf, Tautges tied a career-high with four hits and had three RBI. In the sweep of UW-Stout, she had three hits in six at-bats with three runs scored and five RBI while also homering in both games. In the 10-2 win over UW-Stout, she hit a three-run homer and then slugged the game-tying home run in the 2-1 game two victory.Tautgesalso was 3-of-7 against Augsburg and had a home run and RBI in the game one win. Through 18 games in 2024,Tautgeshas pushed her average to .340 (3rd on CSB) with a team-best 1.031 OPS. She is 18-of-53 from the plate and tied for a team-best 12 runs. She leads the MIAC in home runs with five, tied for third in RBI with 18 and slugging percentage at .679. On the season, she has six multi-RBI and multi-hit games.
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