DECORAH, IOWA – The St. Catherine University softball team knew winning the Decorah Regional of the NCAA Tournament wasn't going to be easy. After staving off elimination Saturday with wins over the College of St. Scholastica and the University of Chicago, the Wildcats needed to beat the No. 3 team in the country, Luther College, twice in order to advance to the Super Regional. Thanks to clutch hitting and a huge defensive effort, St. Kate's was crowned the 2017 Decorah Regional Champion thanks to a 2-1 Game 6 win and 6-5 Game 7 victory.  

The first game promised to be a thriller, as the Wildcats and Norse were scoreless after four innings of play. St. Kate's starter Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) was gold on the mound for the Wildcats, as she and her defense took care of the Luther batters. Flugstad ran into a jam early, as the Norse managed to load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first, but she sent the next three batters down in order to preserve the zero on the scoreboard.

St. Kate's threatened plenty of times on offense, as it put runners on multiple times in the first four innings of play. Unfortunately, Luther starter Samantha Bratland was just as good as Flugstad on the mound, as she managed to pitch out of every jam she found herself in. She wasn't so lucky in the top of the fifth inning, though, as Ashley Sis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo) and Brittney Frenette (Columbia Heights, Minn. / Irondale) made the Norse pay for their mistakes on the base paths. Sis reached on a leadoff double to center field and advanced to third on what appeared to be a sacrifice bunt by Frenette. However, when Luther's first baseman dropped the ball, Sis sprinted for home and beat the throw to score St. Kate's opening run of the game.

In the sixth, the Wildcats added to the lead, as Flugstad hit a double to deep left field to extend the lead to 2-0. She then held the Norse at bay in the sixth and looked to cruise to victory with a perfect seventh inning. However, Luther put a runner on second with no outs on a lead off double and eventually cut the lead to 2-1 with a two out double by nine hitter Sammie Harris. With leadoff Ashley Burrows at the plate, it looked like the Norse were going to pull even, as the lefty hit a shot up the middle. However, a diving, Sportscenter worthy play by Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) stopped the Luther rally in its track and gave St. Kate's the 2-1 victory.

Game two was just as thrilling as the first and concluded with a walk off single by the dangerous Jenna George (Ellsworth, Wis. / Ellsworth). However, before George hit the game winning single, the Wildcats had to come back from a 1-0 deficit, as Luther took the initial lead in the top of the first inning. However, St. Kate's resiliency showed as the game progress, as the Wildcats continued to put runners on base and threaten against the top pitching team in the nation. The team's patience paid off, as Amber Montero (Circle Pines, Minn. / Centennial) hit a solo shot to deep center to tie the game at 1-1 in the fourth before Sammie Galvez (Gilbert, Ariz. / Williams Field) hit a RBI single to give St. Kate's the 2-1 lead.

The Wildcats tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, as Macziewski and Montero both hit RBI singles to extend St. Kate's lead to 4-1.

Flugstad continued to be gold on the mound for St. Kate's. After the first inning, the pitcher allowed only a handful of Norse runners to reach base in the second through sixth innings. However, things got interesting in the top of the seventh, as Luther scored four runs to take a 5-4 lead over St. Kate's. The rally started with Harris, who hit a bloop single between center and right field before Burrows and Sara Nelson hit back-to-back infield singles to load the bases. Shortstop Anna Strien then cut the Wildcats lead to 4-3 with an RBI single and Natalie Stockman gave the Norse their second lead of the game at 5-4.

Flugstad got the next three batters out with ease to send the top of St. Kate's order to the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Lead off hitter Anna Hinderaker (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount) drew a walk to open the inning and was bunted to second by Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson). Montero then did what she does best, hit a single to the right side and the speedy Hinderaker scored from second to tie the game 5-5.

With Montero advancing to second on the throw, George came up to the plate with the game on the line and a runner in scoring position. After looking at two pitches, the sophomore third baseman hit a line drive hit to deep right center, and Montero easily scored from second to secure the 6-5 Regional Championship win for St. Kate's.

Montero and Flugstad were named Co-Players of the Tournament after posting outstanding numbers through five games, while Hinderaker and Macziewski joined them on the All-Tournament team.

With the two wins, the Wildcats advance to the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament, where they will face Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) rival the University of St. Thomas in a best of three series. The site of the Super Regional is yet to be determined and more information will be available in the upcoming days.