The St. Thomas softball team split its doubleheader, winning 9-1 and losing 5-3, with Green Bay Tuesday at South Field. First-year pitcher Christina Crawford dominated on both sides of the ball in game one, going 3-3 with a three-run home run and pitching all five innings.
The Tommies (13-34, 7-11 Summit League) rebounded after being swept in a tough series against South Dakota State. The Tommies lit up the Phoenix (23-21,14-8) in the first game for 13 hits but lost a close second game after a Green Bay three-run home run.
“That was a really tough series,” coach Jennifer Bagley Trotter said. “For us to come out today with confidence at the plate, it was like, ‘they’ve got a short memory.’”
Game one
The Tommies began scoring before fans hardly had a chance to sit down. After a scoreless top of the first from Crawford, the Tommies put up five runs in the bottom half.
First-year center fielder KK Raymond and first-year shortstop Brooke Ellestad started with back-to-back singles. They both scored two batters later after senior first baseman Megan Baniecke’s double drove them in. Junior left fielder CJ Jacobson followed with a single, and Crawford helped herself out on the mound with a three-run home run at the plate, putting the Tommies up 5-0.
“Coming off a series like that, it’s hard to keep your confidence up,” Raymond said, “but today’s a new day; you gotta start fresh.”
Green Bay was able to get a run back in the second inning off a solo home run, the second of only two hits Crawford gave up in the game.
Crawford held the Phoenix scoreless for the remainder of the game, striking out seven and only walking two.
“I’m feeling really good,” Crawford said. “It felt good to be back on our turf (and) having the sun out.”
She also helped herself out again, starting the fourth inning off with a single. Sophomore Brooke Betson pinch ran for Crawford and scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Ellestad. First-year right fielder Cass Carby later singled home Raymond from second and sophomore catcher Maddie Grad from third, putting the Tommies up by six runs.
The team kept rolling in the bottom of the fifth with a lead-off single by Jacobson. She advanced to second off a fielder’s choice and scored off Crawford’s third hit of the game, which was a single up the middle.
Raymond followed up with a single up the middle that drove Crawford home and ended the game early by mercy rule, as the Tommies were up eight runs after five innings.
“It was definitely a win we needed,” Crawford said, “especially coming off a tough series.”
Game two
The second game was a different story, as the Tommies were unable to tally a hit until the third inning. Green Bay took the lead 1-0 in the second off a sacrifice fly.
In the third, Ellestad singled first-year catcher Andrianna Young home from second to tie it. The Tommies’ second run came on a throwing error that struck Cass Carby in the head as she ran up the line. Raymond scored from third on the play as the Tommies took back the lead.
Carby was uninjured and continued to play.
Green Bay responded in the fourth with a three-run home run off junior pitcher Isabelle True, putting the Phoenix back in front by two.
“We saw different pitching in the second game,” Bagley Trotter said. “It looked easy in the first game, and that kind of looking got us in a hole.”
Both teams scored a run in the fifth, with the Tommies’ run coming when Ellestad, again, singled Young home from second.
However, the Tommies’ offense went silent for the final two innings.
“We still are learning lessons,” Bagley Trotter said, “and we still have three games this season.”
The Tommies go on the road to play North Dakota State in a three-game series starting Friday, May 6 at noon.
Sam Larson can be reached at lars4378@stthomas.edu.