Softball sweeps Wisconsin schools for a 4-0 season start in Mankato

The CSB softball team started off the season with a series of wins this past weekend in Mankato.

The team went 4-for-4 with wins over UW-River Falls, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Eau Claire and UW-La Crosse.

The Bennies have been preparing for this opening weekend for the past month, honing in on fundamental hitting and workouts.

“I felt we accomplished a lot in the first month of season,” head coach Rachel Click said.

Although the Bennies were prepared, Click expressed that different play spaces are hard to simulate exactly because they played indoors, but the Bennies were able to get some practice in a smaller indoor space at the SJU dome.

“Getting us in live game situations helped us get ready,” senior Jordyn Swoboda said.

Despite some of these challenges, the Bennies came out on top.

“The energy the first game from those on and off the field was fantastic,” Click said.

“I am very proud of our team this weekend,” Swoboda said. “We were loud and ready.”

New additions to the team include first-year Addy Bowne.

“Addy, our first-year pitcher, had an amazing opening weekend. She was cool, calm and collected…she had a monster weekend at the plate,” Click said.

Sophomore Bryn Carlstrom and senior Mo Burns supported their team with stolen bases and getting underneath the ball.

“Bryn Carlstrom and Mo Burns each had some amazing catches to keep Oshkosh from getting on base and potentially scoring,” Swoboda said.

Several other players also contributed to major regional wins, with two players, junior pitcher Elly Novak and junior outfielder Gabby Spencer, nominated for MIAC softball players of the week.

Novak’s 25 strikeouts for the team during both games and good control over her pitches was integral to the team’s successs.

Swoboda credited Novak and Spencer with making big contributions to the wins.

“Elly and Gabby’s performances this weekend definitely contributed to our success. I am very proud of them,” Swoboda said.

Despite the wins, the team is always looking to improve their game from the previous weeks.

In the games against UW-Oshkosh and UW-La Crosse, the score finishing 1-0 was close through the innings.

Click is hoping the team can improve driving in runs when teammates get on base.

“A lot of runners were left stranded compared to our opponents this weekend,” she said.

The Bennies hope to continue their winning streak into the next week, as they head to Clermont, Fla., for gameplay with softball teams from across the nation.

They then return for the first game of the regular season against Buena Vista University on March 20 at the CSB softball fields.