05/05/07

The top-seeded Saints opened the 2007 UMAC postseason tournament with a 5-1 win over No. 4 Northwestern College at Kenwood Field on Friday afternoon.

RBI singles from Rilee Dawson and Gina Garramone in the bottom of the first gave Saints starting pitcher Amy Jansen all the runs she would need in the win.

Jansen (7-8) picked up the complete-game win allowing only one run on four hits, no walks and seven strikeouts. It was her fourth win in four consecutive outings in the circle for the Saints.

Brenna Zavodnik, Erica Kozacek, and Michaela Carlson led the Saints with two hits apiece.

Five different Saints contributed one RBI apiece in the victory that sends St. Scholastica into the winner’s bracket of the 2007 tournament. Besides Dawson and Garramone, Kozacek contributed a solo homerun in the fifth, and Chelsey Weiss and Brenna Zavodnik picked up an RBI apiece in the sixth.

For Northwestern, Andrea Acosta had a 2-for-4 day to lead the Eagles at the plate. Jenny Kotus singled and scored on a Rochelle Behne single in the seventh for the other two hits St. Scholastica’s Jansen surrendered.

Kelsey Hanson (8-11) pitched six innings for Northwestern and took the loss after allowing five runs – two unearned – on 11 hits and one walk, while striking out five Saints.

Northwestern (16-22-1) falls into the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will play Presentation College who lost to Northland College in their opening round match up.

St. Scholastica and Northland square off in the winner’s side of the bracket.