2006 Review: Bring It Home
The 2006 softball regular season ended with the College of Saint Benedict making a return to MIAC Softball Tournament after a one year absence. The Blazers, who finished with a MIAC record of 12-10 and a 15-21 overall mark, were in a heated race with St. Catherine the last half of the season to decide which team would claim the final playoff vacancy.
In the end, it took a tie-breaker to determine whether or not the Wildcats or the Blazers would be playing in the postseason. The tie-breaker would not be decided with a game between the two contending teams, but rather the final MIAC regular season series between St. Olaf and Augsburg.
The Blazers needed the Auggies to sweep or split the series with the Oles. St. Catherine would have to hold out hope for a St. Olaf sweep in order to get into the playoffs. The series ended in a split, which put CSB in the fourth spot of the 2006 MIAC Softball Tournament.
Saint Benedict would go onto face No. 1 seeded St. Thomas in the opening round of the tournament. The Blazers were swept in the regular season series with the defending national champions on April 30 by scores of 10-1 and 5-0. The Blazers match up with St. Thomas in the tournament would prove to be another defeat for CSB who came up short 4-0. Junior pitcher Christina Gardner (Arvada, Colo. / Holy Family H.S.) pitched a complete game allowing four runs off of seven hits.
With the opening round loss, CSB would be paired against Saint Mary's, who finished third in the conference and swept the Blazers in the two team's season series on April 13 by scores of 5-2 and 3-1.
The Blazers ended their season with 7-0 loss to the Cardinals. Gardner and sophomore Jenna Tody (Woodbury, Minn. / Woodbury H.S.) each doubled and provided the Blazers only hits in the game. Tody was named to the All-Tournament team.
Throughout the season, Saint Benedict experienced highs and lows. The fact that they returned to the MIAC Tournament was a great accomplishment, considering the Blazers started the season 0-9.
The team's 0-9 start would be corrected, but it took the work of several athletes on the CSB roster to ultimately change their early struggles into a successful playoff run.
Junior Monica Eiden (Maple Grove, Minn. / Totino Grace H.S.) had an excellent year on the mound for the Blazers. Eiden finished the season with a 10-6 win-loss record and an ERA of 2.52. After a 0-2 start, Eiden rebounded with five consecutive wins which helped Saint Benedict stay in the hunt for the playoffs. Eiden would also string together four consecutive after losing an extra innings game to Saint Mary's.
Gardner served as both a capable hurler on the mound and an offensive threat at the plate. April 22 would prove to be a day in which Gardner would show that she was a game changing athlete.
After losing the first game 2-0 against Augsburg on the mound, Gardner would hit two homeruns, one in which was a walk-off clout that sailed of the outfield fence giving the Blazers the dramatic 5-2 victory in the nightcap.
Other key performers for Saint Benedict include seniors Cassie Schlangen (Freeport, Minn. / Melrose H.S.) and Kristin Beranek (New Ulm, Minn. / New Ulm Cathedral) and sophomores Tody and Patty Devoy (Mendota Heights, Minn. / Visitation H.S.). Schlangen batted .269 and provided good defense from the rightfield position. Beranek batted .285 and was an aggressive runner on the base paths scoring a team high 16 runs. Tody and Devoy each showed their power by connecting for two home runs each.
Gardner and Eiden were named to the All-MIAC softball team and Shlangen received an honorable mention.
Overall the 2006 season was one in which the Blazers were able to attain their goal of making back to the MIAC Playoff Tournament as well as show that they can come back from great odds and still manage to succeed.
Athletic Department
College of Saint Benedict
37 South College Avenue
St. Joseph, MN 56374
320-363-5301
Fax 320-363-6098