There is no doubt that just a few weeks into the 2015 St. Catherine University softball season that this year could possibly be one of the best in program history. And after Thursday, that possibility became reality when the Wildcats shut out Saint Mary's University 6-0 and 2-0 for a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) sweep to match the St. Kate's program record for wins in a season with 21 Thursday afternoon in front of a home Wildcat crowd in St. Paul.
With the wins, the Wildcats improved to 21-9 on the season to match the 2006 overall record of 21-18. That year, the Wildcats also finished with a program best 12-10 finish in the MIAC. With four MIAC doubleheaders remaining on the schedule, the 2015 Wildcat squad could best that mark and potentially qualify for the postseason. They currently sit at 8-6 in conference play.
The Wildcat victories came behind solid pitching from first-years
Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) and
Megan Lindenfelser (Nowthen, Minn.) who combined for 14 innings of shutout work and gave up just four total hits to the Cardinal offense. In the opener, Flugstad earned her 10th win of the season giving up just three hits to the Cardinals and fanning nine batters en route to her third shutout.
Lindenfelser followed up Flugstad's performance with a no-hitter through six-and-a-third innings until the Cardinals' Kathi Opshal hit a short single to right field for their lone hit of game two. Despite the hit, Lindenfelser earned her sixth win of the season and struck out six batters for her fifth complete game on the year.
The opening game appeared to be a pitcher's dual early as neither team could find a way to get on the board through four-and-a-half. Then, on the opening pitch of the fifth inning,
Jessi Tyminski (Champlin, Minn./Totino-Grace) cranked her fourth home run of the season and eighth of her career to put the Wildcats up 1-0. With the homer, the senior moves to No. 6 all-time at St. Kate's for career home runs (8) and is tied for the team lead this season.
In the sixth inning, the Wildcats piled on five runs en route to victory on a series of hits and solid base running.
Maggie Germscheid (Mahtomedi, Minn./Mahtomedi) came in to run for Lindenfelser after a lead off single and then came home on a RBI single from
Michaela Bruns (Elk River, Minn./Elk River).
Ashley Sis (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Osseo) singled to bring in
Kylie Macziewski (
Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) who also picked up a single to put herself in scoring position.
After a dropped fly foul from the Cardinals, Tyminski found new life and was able to hit a single to right field to drive in pinch runner Caity DeWitt (Stillwater, Minn./Mahtomedi) and Sis to increase the Wildcat lead to 5-0. Flugstad then came in to hit out of the flex position and hit a single down the right field line to bring Tyminski home for the sixth and final run of the opener. The game one win helped the Wildcats reach the 20-win mark for the first time in program history since that 2006 season.
Robyn Rohr (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) led off game two for the Wildcats with a double for her first of three hits in nightcap. After a sacrifice bunt from Donielle Kurvers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello), Lindenfelser drove in Rohr to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead after one inning of play.
The Wildcats got on the board a second time in the bottom of the third when Rohr hit the second home run of the day for the team and third of the season for the junior. That was the final run for the Wildcats and enough to help the squad earn its second-consecutive MIAC sweep this season.
Bruns led the Wildcats on the day at the plate going 3-for-6 with a RBI, while Tyminski was 2-for-4 with three RBI and walk. Rohr was 3-for-3 in game two, while Lindenfelser and Kurvers each picked up a pair of hits on the day.
The Wildcats return to action Saturday at home as they are set to square off against defending MIAC champion and No. 12 nationally-ranked University of St. Thomas. Game one of the doubleheader is set to begin at 1 p.m. in St. Paul.Wildcat Softball on TwitterWildcat Softball on FacebookWildcats on TwitterWildcats on Facebook,
