Area Sports Briefs: Nov. 4

But the 38-year-old had never been honored for his defense — until Sunday. Santana was named the American League Gold Glove Award winner at first base with results of voting revealed on ESPN on Sunday night.

Back in February, Santana said his mother asked him what he wanted to do before he retired. He told her he wanted to win a Gold Glove.

"I promised my mom I would win it," he said in September.

That promise has now been fulfilled after a season in which his 14 outs above average led all major league first basemen and his eight defensive runs saved was tied for first among AL first basemen. Coaches and managers comprised 75% of voting with 25% of the vote based on the Society for American Baseball Research Defensive Index.

Santana's win makes him the first Twin to take home the award since Byron Buxton and Brian Dozier did so in 2017. He's the first Twins first baseman to win a Gold Glove since Doug Mientkiewicz in 2001 and third (Vic Power) ever.

The veteran infielder, who is now a free agent, also won the Diamond Award for the Twins' Defensive Player of the Year.

Willi Castro, who was the first player in MLB history to appear in 25 or more games at five different defensive positions in a season, was a finalist in the utility category but lost to Seattle's Dylan Moore.

The University of Mary women's soccer team punched their ticket to the Northern Sun tournament on Sunday afternoon by beating Sioux Falls 2-0 at the Community Bowl.

In a game that was delayed just shy of half an hour due to lightning, the Marauders got a first-half goal from Kendra Park, her first of the season, and Rio Spruenken, her fourth, to top the Cougars.

Sunday's win gave U-Mary 24 points, five clear of ninth-place Wayne State in the standings, to earn the Marauders a spot in the eight-team NSIC tournament that begins next Monday, Nov. 11.

Mary is still technically in the running to host a playoff game, but would need either Augustana (27 points) or St. Cloud State (26 points) to lose and the Marauders would need to win on Thursday against Northern State to secure another game at the Bowl.

After taking their first regulation loss of the season on Friday, the Bismarck Bobcats salvaged a weekend split with the Austin Bruins with a 3-2 shootout win on Saturday night.

Alexandr Kim and Drew Roelofs scored for the Bobcats in the second period to give Bismarck a 2-0 lead, but Ashton Bynum and Nathan Williams responded for the Bruins to tie the game and extend it into overtime.

Bismarck managed the only shot of the five-minute three-on-three overtime, but Evan Hunter and Matthew Rafalski scored in the shootout and EJ Paddington and Luc Malkhassian came up empty for the Bruins.

The Bobcats are back in action next Friday and Saturday, as they make their first trip to Forest Lake to play the Minnesota Mallards. Both games are scheduled for a 7 p.m. start.