Anderson-Glass nearly no-hits Macalester in first game
Pitcher Kierstin Anderson-Glass hurled a complete game, striking out five Macalester Scots in the Tommies’ 2-0 victory in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon at the South Athletic Field.
Anderson-Glass conceded her first hit of the contest in the top of the seventh inning when right-fielder G.G. Gunther singled to right field. Anderson-Glass had no idea she had a no-hitter until someone told her in the seventh inning.
“I didn’t even know, so I was like, ‘Whatever,’” Anderson-Glass said. “It doesn’t matter to me; I just want to win for my team.”
On Monday, Anderson-Glass was named MIAC Softball Pitcher of the Week, an honor the first-year player already received once this season. She leads the conference in wins and strikeouts and is second in ERA. Coach John Tschida said her mentality is what impresses him the most.
“She’s very mature for her age; her emotions are very good and in check, so she doesn’t get rattled,” Tschida said.
The No. 13-ranked Tommies (27-5 overall, 14-2 MIAC) were held scoreless through the first two innings but finally broke through in the third inning. Second baseman Megan Dupuis slapped a sacrifice fly to left field, which scored center-fielder Danielle Wigen from third.
They added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning when catcher Chase Shortly knocked in pinch-runner Keaira Caldarera with a single to left field.
This was the fourth time the Scots (11-21 overall, 4-10 MIAC) failed to cross the plate in a game this season.
Scots answer Tommies’ pitching puzzle in second game
Despite only registering one hit in the first game, Macalester scored three runs in the seventh inning in the second game to complete a come-from-behind triumph, defeating St. Thomas 6-5 in the back end of the doubleheader.
Both squads crossed the plate in the first inning, with the Scots’ center-fielder Claire O’Connor and Shortly each driving in the team’s run.
St. Thomas had its most impressive inning of the day when it racked up three runs in the third inning. Dupuis started the scoring with a double to left field, which brought Wigen home. Third baseman Micaela Trainor capped off the scoring when she laced a ball over the Scots’ second baseman Natalie Platt. Shortly and pitcher Katie Jo Delisle scored off Trainor’s single.
One pitching change occurred for the Tommies before the Scots could muster another run. Starting pitcher Delisle lasted 3 1/3 innings and gave up one run on four hits with a strikeout and walk apiece.
Junior Jessica Eppenberger replaced Delisle and shut down Macalaster for the rest of the fourth, but it wasn’t until the fifth inning that the Scots solved Eppenberger. Third-baseman Morgan Bean crushed a two-run home run to center field, decreasing the Tommies’ lead to 4-3. Following this hiccup, Tschida brought in game one starter Anderson-Glass, who finished the game. Tschida mentioned pitching accuracy as a slip-up for the Tommies.
“There’s holes hitters have, and if you don’t hit your spots all the kids in college can hit, but you can’t expect pitchers to hit every single spot. It’s about just concentrating and doing the best you can,” Tschida said.
St. Thomas scored another run in the fifth inning with a single from right-fielder Dana Connelly, but this wouldn’t be enough for the Tommies to win with the Scots driving in three runs in the seventh. Gunther doubled to right center, which scored shortstop Vivi Gregorich. On the next at-bat, third-baseman Morghan Bean hammered home Cox and Gunther off her single to center field.
St. Thomas bowed out in the seventh inning with three straight outs. Tschida said Macalester “earned” the comeback.
“They did a good job of bringing the energy and staying with it; they took good swings, they fouled off some good pitches; they battled tough,” Tschida said.
The Tommies have a busy weekend ahead of them with a home doubleheader against Gustavus Saturday and a twin bill at St. Ben’s on Sunday.
Jesse Krull can be reached at krul7386@stthomas.edu.