http://miac-online.org/news/2013/5/5/SB_0505135222.aspx
NORTH MANKATO, Minn. -- The University of St. Thomas completed a
perfect 5-0 run through the new-look 2013 MIAC Softball Playoffs,
adding the postseason title to their regular-season crown. The
top-seeded Tommies showed off their talent and balance in an 8-1
championship-game victory over second-seeded Bethel Sunday at
Caswell Park in North Mankato, Minn.
Sunday's MIAC Playoff championship is the ninth in a row for UST,
which has now won the title in all nine years of the event. With
the five postseason wins in 2013, the Tommies improved to 33-1
all-time in the event. They also finished off a perfect 25-0 record
against conference foes this year, after going 20-0 in the regular
season en route to the league title and No. 1 Playoff seed.
Bethel reached Sunday's title game by defeating the host school -
fifth-seeded Gustavus - in a semifinal game to start the day's
action. The Royals beat the Gusties 5-2 in a 9 a.m. game at Caswell
Park to reach the title game, and Bethel finished second in the
MIAC in the regular season and now in the postseason as well.
No. 1 St. Thomas 8, No. 2 Bethel 1
| Box
Score | Photos
(for sale) |
Upset-minded Bethel struck first, but St. Thomas used a complete
performance behind excellent pitching and its powerful offensive
lineup to finish a perfect run through the 2013 MIAC Softball
Playoffs and claim the championship. The Tommies were led by
shortstop Jenna Hoffman, who slugged two home runs and a double
among her four hits to finish off a stellar tournament, and
pitchers Morgan Murphy and Kendra Bowe combined to allow one
unearned run on six hits and no walks.
The Royals took an early 1-0 lead with an opportunistic approach to
their first at-bat. Annie Jackson was hit by a pitch to start the
game, then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and came around to
give Bethel the lead on a Tommie miscue. The Royals bunted another
runner into scoring position, but Murphy induced an inning-ending
groundout to limit the damage.
Hoffman was ready with a quick answer, as she led off the bottom of
the first with a home run for the second time in the tournament.
Erin Mussett followed with a two-out single and McKenzie Wergin
followed with an RBI triple that got past a diving outfielder to
plate the eventual winning run and give UST its first lead at
2-1.
St. Thomas threatened again in the third when Hoffman drilled a
double to the right field corner, and Kimmy Hassel beat out a bunt
and stole second to put runners on second and third. However,
Bethel right fielder Rachel Gilbert gave the Royals a huge lift by
catching a fly ball and gunning Hoffman down at the plate for a
thrilling double play.
However, Bethel couldn't keep the momentum and the Tommie bats
broke the game open an inning later. Mary Rentz started the scoring
with an RBI single, then Hoffman's huge afternoon continued with a
three-run homer - her second of the game and third-straight
extra-base hit. Hassel followed with a double, then came around to
score on Emily Gregory's RBI single to make it 7-1 St. Thomas.
Bethel had its best threat to get back in the game when it loaded
the bases in the top of the sixth, but Tommie Head Coach John
Tschida brought Bowe out of the bullpen, who got a grounder to
third to end the threat. UST tacked on one more insurance run in
the bottom of the inning before closing out the championship.
As she was all tournament, Hoffman was the offensive star. The UST
shortstop was a perfect 4-for-4 in the title game with two home
runs, two doubles, two runs scored and four RBI. Hassel and Wergin
each had two hits and Gregory drove in a pair for the Tommies.
Murphy earned the win, allowing just the lone unearned run on five
hits with no walks and a strikeout, and Bowe worked the final 1.1
innings with one hit and one strikeout.
Kalyn Sorenson was Bethel's offensive leader in the championship
game, going 2-for-3. Cristina Masten, Gilbert, Abbie Bircher and
Logan Ahlness also had hits in the loss. Courtney Saurer allowed
three runs on six hits over 4.1 innings to take the loss, and
Karlie Persson threw the other 2.1 innings, surrendering five runs
on six hits and one walk.
No. 2 Bethel 5, No. 5 Gustavus 2
| Box
Score | Photos
(for sale) |
Bethel advanced to the championship game with an early rally and
some late survival techniques in a 5-2 win over the fifth-seeded
Gusties. The Royals plated three runs in the second to take a lead,
built a cushion with two runs in the fourth, then hung on when
Gustavus scored two and got the tying run to the plate in the
seventh inning.
Bethel played small ball to perfection to get on the board.
Carolie Kvisto walked to open the bottom of the second, then was
bunted into scoring position and came home on Kalyn Sorensen's RBI
single. Tara Schinke singled and the Royals moved both runners up
with another bunt, and Angie Jackson came through with a clutch
two-run single to push the lead to 3-0. Cristina Masten made it a
4-0 Royal lead with an RBI single in the fourth, and Rachel Gilbert
followed with another run-scoring single to give Bethel a five-run
lead heading into the final innings.
However, the host team made things interesting with a last-ditch
rally in the top of the seventh. Paige Breneman worked a one-out
walk, Christina Riester followed with a single and both runners
moved up on the throw in. Brittany Brenke got Bethel on the board
with an RBI single and Sam Breneman made it 2-0 with a sacrifice
fly. Kailey Morgan worked another walk and both runners moved up on
a wild pitch with the tying run at the plate, but Bethel pitcher
Karli Persson got a strikeout to end the game and send her team to
the championship game.
Persson picked up the win, going the distance and allowing just two
final-inning runs on five hits and six walks with five strikeouts.
Gilbert and Schinke head went 2-for-3 for Bethel, with Schinke
scoring twice and Jackson driving in a pair. Sorensen added a run
and an RBI to the Royals' winning cause.
Sarah Rozell went the distance and took the loss for Gustavus,
allowing five runs on seven hits with three walks and three Ks.
Brenke was 2-for-4 with an RBI in the leadoff spot, while Paige
Breneman and Riester were each 1-for-2 with a run scored. The
Gusties saw their tremendous tournament run come to an end, and
they finished with a 15-19 overall record.
Tommies are NCAA Tournament bound
Thanks to its tournament title, St. Thomas received the MIAC
Playoff championship plaque and the conference's automatic bid to
the 2013 NCAA Division III Softball Tournament. UST will learn its
first-round destination and matchup when the NCAA announces the
field during a live
selection show online Monday at 9 a.m. The selection show and
all postseason information can be found on NCAA.com.
Fans can re-live all the action from the three-day, 12-team 2013
MIAC Softball Playoffs on the tournament's
home page. Host school Gustavus provided live stats for all
games, and had live video for the remainder of the tournament,
which is archived
online. The MIAC Softball Playoff home page has complete
results, box scores, updated schedules, recaps, photos and more.
Fans can also interact and re-live the tournament on Facebook and Twitter
(@MIAConline) with the
hashtags #MIACSB and #MIACPlayoffs.
2013 MIAC Softball Playoffs
Friday, May 3
POOL A - No. 1 St. Thomas advances
No. 1 St. Thomas 11, No. 10 Macalester 0 (5 inn.) | Box
Score | Recap
|
No. 8 St. Catherine 13, No. 10 Macalester 12 | Box
Score | Recap
|
No. 1 St. Thomas 6, No. 8 St. Catherine 2 | Box
Score | Recap
|
POOL B - No. 2 Bethel advances
No. 2 Bethel 11, No. 11 Augsburg 2 (6 inn.) | Box
Score | Recap
|
No. 7 Saint Benedict 8, No. 11 Augsburg 5 | Box
Score | Recap
|
No. 2 Bethel 7, No. 7 Saint Benedict 5 | Box
Score | Recap
|
POOL C - No. 3 St. Olaf advances
No. 3 St. Olaf 10, No. 12 Concordia 3 | Box
Score | Recap
|
No. 6 Hamline 11, Concordia 3 (5 inn.) | Box
Score | Recap
|
No. 3 St. Olaf 10, No. 6 Hamline 9 | Box
Score | Recap
|
POOL D - No. 5 Gustavus advances
No. 9 Carleton 11, No. 4 Saint Mary's 2 (5 inn.) | Box
Score | Recap
|
No. 5 Gustavus 7, No. 9 Carleton 6 | Box
Score | Recap
|
No. 5 Gustavus 8, No. 4 Saint Mary's 4 | Box
Score | Recap
|
Saturday, May 4
Game 1: No. 1 St. Thomas 8, No. 5 Gustavus 0 (6 inn.) | Box
Score | Recap
|
Game 2: No. 2 Bethel 10, No. 3 St. Olaf 2 (6 inn.) | Box
Score | Recap
|
Game 3: No. 1 St. Thomas 3, No. 2 Bethel 2 (8 inn.) | Box
Score | Recap
|
Game 4: No. 5 Gustavus 11, No. 3 St. Olaf 2 (6 inn.) | Box
Score | Recap
|
Sunday, May 5
Game 5: No. 2 Bethel 5, No. 5 Gustavus 2 | Box
Score | Photos
(for sale) |
Game 6: No. 1 St. Thomas* 8, No. 2 Bethel 1 | Box
Score | Photos
(for sale |
*St. Thomas wins the MIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA
Tournament