The 2015 has been one to remember for the St. Catherine University softball team as they dynamic young squad has checked off numerous program milestones along the way to a historic season finish including a  recording a program-first perfect game, setting a program-record winning streak and matching a program-record for single season wins. Riding a four-game winning streak, the Wildcats had a golden opportunity to check off two more milestones – set a new stand-alone school record for wins in a season and defeat the University of St. Thomas for the first time in program history. Check and check. 

After a hard fought Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) battle, Donielle Kurvers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) got to play hero for the Wildcats as she hit a three-run two-out walk-off home run – her first in a Wildcat uniform – in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Wildcats to a historic 8-6 win over No. 12 St. Thomas for the first time in program history in front of a large home crowd Saturday afternoon in St. Paul. 

Game one had the makings of a great story as it started with pitching battle between two of the top hurlers in the MIAC in the Wildcats' Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) and the Tommies' Kendra Bowe. Neither team could find a way to crack the pitchers and score a run until the Wildcat offense finally got going in the bottom of the third innning. 

Kurvers got the Wildcats going when she recorded her first of four hits in the opener with a bunt single to get on base in scoring position. Megan Lindenfelser (Nowthen, Minn./Anoka) then doubled to left field to move Kurvers to third base with Michaela Bruns (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) at the plate. The catcher collected a RBI on a bunt that brough Kurvers home giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. 

After a Jessi Tyminski (Champlin, Minn./Totino Grace) walk and a sacrifice bunt from Caity DeWitt (Stillwater, Minn./Mahtomedi) that advanced pinch runner Hailey Kuhl (Red Wing, Minn./Red Wing), Kurvers came up big for the Wildcats with a RBI single up the middle that brough Kuhl across home plate for a 2-0 Wildcat lead. 

The powerful Tommie hitters decided to take over immediately, though, in the top of the fifth inning when Danielle Tschann led off with a double and her pinch runner eventually came home on a McKenzie Wergin single to pull the Tommies within one. The very next batter in Megan DuPuis cranked a two run homer to give the Tommies a 3-2 lead. 

The Wildcats weren't going to give in to the nationally-ranked Tommies as they evened the score in the bottom of the inning. Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) got the offense going with a single through the left side before Flugstad reached base after being hit by a pitch. Two batters later on two outs, Flugstad came home to notch the game at 3-3 when the Tommies committed a throwing error from third to first. 

A scoreless sixth led to the decisive seventh inning where a series of walked batters and a dropped fly ball allowed a run to score before pinch hitter Brooke Pantila singled to left field to bring in two Tommies runs. 

The Tommies entered the inning with an apparently comfortable 6-3 lead. Prior to the game, the Tommies were 298-0 in MIAC games during John Tschida's 15-year tenure when scoring four or more runs. That all was about to come to an end in the most unexpected way. 

First, Macziewski got on base with a lead off walk and advanced to second on a single from Flugstad. Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) then reached base after being hit by a pitch from Katie Jo Delisle. The Tommies then struck out Tyminski and used a fielder's choice to put the Wildcats down with two outs. 

Then, with the hot bat this week, Robyn Rohr (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville) singled up the middle to bring the Wildcats within one run from tying the game when Woebke and Flugstad crossed home plate. 

Finally, Kurvers finished her perfect game at the plate when she took a pitch deep in the count and it sailed over the left field wall to bring Rohr and DeWitt home for the walk-off winning home run. 

Flugstad recorded the win in game two after starting the game and returning in the seventh for her 11th victory of the season. She allowed three earned runs on six hits and struck out three batters. 

In game two, the Tommies got going early in the first inning and strung together a series of powerful hits and runs in the second to rebound for a 9-1 defeat of the Wildcats in five innings. Tyminski drove in the lone run in the second game with a double to bring Kuhl across for her second run of the day. 

Kurvers led the Wildcats with four hits on the day, while Lindenfelser and Rohr each recorded a pair of hits.

With the split, the Wildcats move to 22-10 on the season and 9-6 in conference play to remain in contention for the conference playoffs. The Wildcats are scheduled to take on the College of Saint Benedict at home Sunday for a 2 p.m. doubleheader in St. Paul. 

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