Senior pitcher Kierstin Anderson-Glass and junior pitcher Kendall Hopkins combined for 12 shutout innings against Gustavus Adolphus College, beating them 7-0 and 8-0 Wednesday at South Field. The team now has a 45 inning shutout streak at home.
The Tommies (19-5, 12-2 MIAC) scored seven runs in the first game to back a complete game shutout by Anderson-Glass. In the second game the Tommies enacted their third mercy rule in four home games as senior catcher Bridget Armstrong walked off the Gusties (9-13, 4-10 MIAC) in the bottom of the fifth inning with a double.
“I saw that Kiersten did really well,” Hopkins said. “But I knew that I just had to try and follow up, I think it came out pretty successfully.”
The Tommies are on an eight game winning streak at South Field.
Game 1
The Tommies put up seven runs to back up Anderson-Glass’ complete-game shutout. Anderson-Glass held the Gusties to just five hits while striking out 10, tying her season high for strikeouts.
Anderson-Glass, sophomore outfielder Coryn Jacobson and junior infielder Sarah Hudson each had two hits in the game. Anderson-Glass and Hudson each drove in two runs, Jacobson drove in one.
“I think it was a pretty good day offensively,” first-year right fielder Katie Goelz said. “The whole team was hitting shots in the first game.”
The Tommies scored two runs in the first and second innings with Anderson-Glass and Hudson driving the first two in on a single and fielders choice respectively. The second pair of runs came after capitalizing on two errors made by Gustavus.
The Tommies scored again in the fifth inning and another two in the sixth inning with Anderson-Glass and Hudson each driving in their second runs of the game. St. Thomas missed their third consecutive home game mercy rule by one run.
Game 2
The Tommies carried the shutout over into the second game. Hopkins kept the Gusties to only two hits and struck out five players over five innings. The Tommies scored a run on an error in the first inning taking the lead 1-0. They scored again in the third inning when senior left fielder Sam Birling singled, stole second and scored after two wild pitches.
The Tommies’ bats exploded in the fifth inning when Goelz led the inning off with a double and scored after a throwing error by Gustavus junior catcher Mackenzie Skuza. Four more runs were plated by the Tommies with Anderson-Glass and junior infielder Megan Baniecke each driving in one. Armstrong drove the last two in, walking off the Gusties and giving St. Thomas their second win of the day.
Goelz hit her first collegiate home run to top off scoring in the third inning.
“I feel awesome,” Goelz said. “Everyone on the team has been putting in a lot of hard work and my teammates have really been helping me with my swing.”
The Tommies take on Concordia-Moorhead College in a doubleheader on April 24 at 1 and 3 p.m. in Moorhead.
Sam Larson can be reached at lars4378@stthomas.edu.