04/27/07

Senior Rilee Dawson almost did it all by herself in St. Scholastica's 3-2 extra-inning win over Martin Luther College in the Saints' first game of the four-team UMAC Crossover in Waconia, Minn., Friday afternoon.

Following a two out Erica Kozacek single in the bottom of the sixth, Dawson cleared the fence with a two-run shot to put the Saints ahead 2-0 going into the final inning.

Heading into the top of the seventh, Dawson had allowed only two hits in six innings of work in the circle for the Saints, striking out six and enjoying four 1-2-3 innings.

The Knights picked up their first run, though, on a one out solo homerun then tied the score with an unearned run to send the game into extra innings.

St. Scholastica (16-15, 7-0 UMAC) had runners at first and second with two out in the bottom of the seventh when Kozacek laced a single to left but Brenna Zavodnik was thrown out at the plate trying to score the winning run from second.

Dawson allowed a leadoff single in the top of the eighth but erased the runner with a fielder's choice from the next batter, picked up her seventh strikeout for out number two, then snared a line shot right back at her for the third out.

As so often happens, the player that made the play out in the field ends up at the plate in the next inning and Dawson stepped into the batters box as the leadoff hitter for the Saints, hoping to atone for the homerun she gave up one inning earlier.

With one swing of the bat, Dawson ended Martin Luther's hope for the upset and kept the Saints undefeated in conference play. She finished the day 3-for-4 at the plate with all three of her team's RBIs, and picked up the win after allowing only two runs -- one unearned -- on six hits, no walks, and seven strikeouts.

Kozacek scored once on a 2-for-4 day for the Saints, and Katie Brown also had two hits in an otherwise quiet day at the plate for the rest of the Saints.