MANKATO, Minn. -- The St. Catherine University softball team opened the 2023 spring season in Mankato playing four games over two days. The Wildcats finished the weekend 3-1 with wins over Nebraska Wesleyan, Dubuque, and Crown College.
GAME ONE | St. Catherine 4, Nebraska Wesleyan 5 - 8 innings
Senior
Alyssa Montero had an impressive start to her senior season tallying 13 strikeouts facing 35 batters allowing nine hits. Montero also recorded the team's first double of the season in her first at bat in the opening frame giving the Wildcats a one run lead.
Kaitlín Boyles was responsible for bringing Montero home along with senior
Julia Azure putting the team at 3-0 after the first inning. An eventful seventh inning on both sides of the field led to Nebraska Wesleyan knotting the game at 3-3 to force extra innings.
Boyles added an RBI bringing in rookie
Helen McKinnon for a 4-3 lead but the Prairie Wolves were able to add two for the win.
GAME TWO | St. Catherine 9, Crown 1
Rookie
Sam Aronson was 3 for 4 with 3 RBI and one run in the Wildcats win over Crown earning her first career double to close out the sixth inning. Montero was 2 for 3 for 2 runs and one RBI.
Erica Pronschinske started in the circle pitching 5 innings and collecting five strikeouts. First-year
Riley Leonhardt finished the game pitching two innings earning her first career strikeout.
GAME THREE | St. Catherine 3, Dubuque 0
Montero added another 11 strikeouts in the Wildcats game against Dubuque on Sunday morning allowing just two hits facing 26 batters. On top of the Montero's success in the circle, she hit 1 for 3 with one run while left on base once. Montero was driven in by first year
Sydney Colbert who was 1 for 1 with two RBI.
GAME FOUR | St. Catherine 7, Nebraska Wesleyan 3
In the Wildcats second showing against the Prairie Wolves the team secured a come from behind win in six innings. The Wolves scored two runs in the second innings before first-year
Tori Vennemann and McKinnon combined to tie it at 2-2. McKinnon scored the team's third run on a wild pitch giving St. Kate's the lead for the next four innings.
NWU scored again off a double to center field with driving in another tying run in the top of the sixth. McKinnon's double in the bottom of the inning to get the Wildcats four run inning started. The rookie was 2 for 3 with two runs and one RBI.
Offensivley sophomore
Sarah Posey tallied five runs and five hits with a batting average of .333. Boyles was .364 with two runs off four hits plus two RBI and one double. Montero recorded four runs with four hits and two RBI hitting .308 while Aronson hit .333 with an on base percentage of .846 with one double, one run and five RBI.
Montero was 1-1 in the circle pitching two complete games, a shutout and a conference leading 24 strikeouts on 53 at bats. Pronschinske finished the weekend with a perfect 0.00 ERA pitching 6 innings with five strikeouts.
The Wildcats are back in action next weekend with games against Coe College and Buena Vista University on Saturday and Luther College and Bethany Lutheran College Sunday.
