The Benedictine University softball team continued its winning ways on Wednesday night in a non-conference doubleheader against North Park University. BenU downed the Vikings 2-1 and 4-0, extending its winning streak to eight games and moving its record to 20-2 since returning home from Florida last month.

Game One

The Eagles managed just four hits in the first game, but one of those came off the bat of Kailee Cable in the first inning to drive in a run. After Sarah Koch reached on an error and stole second with two outs, Cable doubled to left field to drive her in and give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.

Just three runners reached base for the Vikings through the first four innings, but the Eagles offense was stifled as well through the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, North Park tied the score off of BenU starter Holly Haberkorn on an RBI single.

However, the Eagles would respond in the next half inning. Cable singled to start the inning and Haberkorn followed by reaching on a fielder's choice. After Miranda Hiemer's groundout advanced both runners, Courtney Grasz came up with a productive out of her own, hitting a sacrafice fly to score Cable and give BenU the lead. Haberkorn pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning and stranded a North Park double on second base in the seventh to earn the win.

In the circle, Haberkorn earned the win behind a complete game, holding the Vikings to one run on six hits. Cable (two hits, double), Grasz, and Kelli Holstine tallied the four hits, and Koch, Shannon Fritsche, and Melissa Stoch all stole bases.

Game Two

Despite BenU tallying three second-inning hits, both teams were unable to score through the first two innings. In the top of the third, BenU put some offense together after a Fritsche and Chelsea White double-steal, opening the door for a Cable sacrafice fly to take a 1-0 lead. After BenU starter Melissa Guzior fired another scoreless inning, the Eagles plated one more run in the fourth on a Kelsey Jefferies sacrafice fly.

Eryn Pondo relieved Guzior in the fourth inning, holding down the Viking offense for the rest of the game. BenU held a 2-0 lead until the top of the seventh, when the offense added on with two runs, scoring on an RBI groundout from Haberkorn and a wild pitch.

At the plate, Cable was a perfect 3-for-3, while White, Grasz, and Hiemer all tallied two hits a piece. BenU racked up six steals in the contest, with Koch (two), Fritsche, White, Cable, and Hiemer all swiping bags.

Guzior earned the win, tossing 3.1 scoreless innings while holding the Vikings to just two hits. Pondo's line was similar, as she went 3.2 innings, also holding North Park scorless with two hits.

Benedictine is back in action on Saturday afternoon on the road at Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference foe Concordia-Wisconsin. Game one is set to begin at noon. CUW trails the Eagles by just one game in confernce play (11-3 NACC record compared to 12-2) as of Wednesday night.