Box Score After 10-straight Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) losses, the St. Catherine University softball team hoped it could end the 2014 season on a high-note with a win for an impressive senior class. In the team's finale against the University of Northwestern-St. Paul, the Wildcats' three seniors came up with huge performances at the plate help end their careers and the year with a 10-0 five-inning victory over the Eagles Wednesday afternoon at the West St. Paul Sports Dome in West St. Paul, Minn.
Seniors
Raven Baker (Minneapolis, Minn.),
Alyssa Luedtke (Spring Lake Park, Minn.) and
Alyssa McKee (Spring Lake Park, Minn.) combined for six of the Wildcats' 14 hits and five of 10 runs on the day to help the Wildcats pick up their eighth win of the season. All three collected two hits a piece with Baker and Luedtke each scoring twice a piece, while McKee added an RBI to her effort at the plate.
The game opened up with a quick top of the first for the Wildcats thanks to solid pitching from
Rachael Thompson (St. Peter, Minn.) who pictched five inning to collect her third shutout and fourth win of the season. Thompson allowed just two hits to the Eagles and struck out seven of the 19 batters she faced. This was also the sophomore's 14th complete game in 23 appearances this season.
At the plate, the Wildcats got going early as Baker led off the game with an infield single. She eventaully advanced bases and then stole home to tally the first Wildcat run of the day.
Jessica Tyminski (Champlin, Minn.) then hit her first of two doubles on the day to send
Kaitlyn Luedtke (Spring Lake Park, Minn.) home for the second Wildcat run of the inning.
Lindsey Klein (Shoreview, Minn.) later hit a RBI double to bring Tyminski home giving the Wildcats a 3-0 lead after one.
The bats came alive in the bottom of the second for the Wildcats as
Alyssa Besch (Lakeville, Minn.) led off the inning with her first hit of the inning. Baker and
Alyssa Luedtke picked up back-to-back singles at the top of the order which then allowed
Kaitlyn Luedtke to pick up a RBI as she walked allowing Besch to score her one run of the day. Thompson then picked up a two-RBI singles up the middle to send Luedtke and Baker home. McKee and
Larrissa Karl (Buffalo Lake, Minn.) then each picked up RBI singles to score
Kaitlyn Luedtke pinch runner
Ashley Larson (Mitchell, S.D.). Besch then singled through the left side to bring McKee around for her final collegiate run.
After taking a 9-0 lead after two, the Wildcats continued strong play in the field before
Alyssa Luedtke crossed the plate for her 97th career run on Tyminski's second double of the day. Tyminski finished the season with a team-best 31 hits, 11 doubles, 45 total bases, 15 walks, a .474 slugging percentage and .418 on base percentage. At first base, she also led the team with 185 put outs.
The three-player senior class leaves an impressive mark on the Wildcat program with all three ranking in the top-15 for career games played at St. Kate's.
Alyssa Luedtke finished her senior season tied with Tyminski for the team lead in hits (31) and led the Wildcats with 17 runs and seven stolen bases. In her four-year career, Luedtke set school records for career hits (185), at bats (463), runs (97), batting average (.400) and triples (10). The centerfielder also finished her career with single-season records for hits (63) and average (.467) and boasts an impressive 53 career RBI and .958 fielding percentage. She was a three-time All-MIAC selection, was named to the 2013 MIAC All-Tournament team and twice earned NFCA All-Region Second Team honors.
McKee finished her senior campaign third on the team in RBI (13) and total bases (34). In her four seasons in a Wildcat uniform, McKee was second in program history for RBI in a single season with 30 in 2013. She also ranks in the top-five in shcool history for career doubles (26), walks (31) and RBI (58) and in the top-10 for at bats (354) and home runs (6). McKee ends her career with 99 career hits and a .410 slugging percentage.
Baker ended the year third on the team in hits with a career-high 27 and was second with a career-high 15 runs scored. The leftfielder led the Wildcats in 2013 in on base percentage (.429) and collected 61 hits, 40 runs and 25 stolen bases in her four seasons with the Wildcats.
The Wildcats end the 2014 season 8-25 overall and 5-15 in the MIAC.
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