University of St. Thomas Athletics
Saturday, April 20
St. Paul, Minn.
12:00 p.m. Central
12-31, 6-7-0
6
vs
1
South Dakota
19-26, 4-8-0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
South Dakota
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
5
1
St. Thomas
1
0
2
1
2
0
X
6
13
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Crawford, Christina (5-15)
L: Clara Edwards (7-12)
Batting:
RBI: Autumn Iversen 1
SF: Autumn Iversen 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Clara Edwards 1
Batting:
2B: Wukawitz, Avery 1 ; Raymond, Kaitlyn 1 ; Lienhard, Laken 1
HR: Wukawitz, Avery 1
RBI: Wukawitz, Avery 1 ; Raymond, Kaitlyn 1 ; Klein, Morgan 1 ; Miller, Kenzie 1
SH: Mickett, Sydney 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wukawitz, Avery 1 ; Raymond, Kaitlyn 1 ; Lienhard, Laken 1 ; Moore, Ruby 1 ; Caruso, Anna 1 ; Snider, Miki 1
SB: Raymond, Kaitlyn 2 ; Moore, Ruby 2 ; Caruso, Anna 1 ; Miller, Kenzie 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C/UT
/ SoftballUT
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C/UT
/ SoftballP/UT
/ Softball
SS
/ Softball
2B/SS
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballC
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballP
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballOF/SS
/ Softball
Photo by: Patrick Hart
Softball sweeps South Dakota doubleheader
4/20/2024 8:14:00 PM | Softball
The Tommies took down the Coyotes in both games on a chilly Saturday in St. Paul.
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of St. Thomas Softball team faced off against the University of South Dakota in a doubleheader conference matchup. The Tommies kicked off the series with a 6-1 victory and came back to win 4-3, narrowly defeating the Coyotes in game two.
In game one, Christina Crawford delivered yet another stellar performance in the circle for the Tommies, pitching a complete game and securing her fourth consecutive win. Her dominance on the field was matched by an explosive offensive display from the Tommies. The lineup was ablaze with five players notching multi-hit performances. Eight hitters reached base at least once.
Game two unfolded as a nail-biter, with the Tommies staging an impressive comeback after trailing by three runs in the fourth inning. Morgan Klein, stepping up in relief, secured her first victory of the year, playing a pivotal role in the Tommies' triumph. With this win, St. Thomas improved its Summit League conference record to 7-7 and overall 2024 mark to 13-31 with seven games left to play.
GAME ONE RECAP
In the opening inning, South Dakota's batters could not get away from center fielder Avery Wukawitz, who recorded all three outs for St. Thomas. The Tommies struck early in the bottom half when Laken Lienhard's double set up Morgan Klein's RBI single, giving them a 1-0 lead.
The second inning remained quiet, with Kenzie Miller's single being the only action in a scoreless frame for both teams.
Avery Wukawitz kicked off the third inning with a bang, launching a leadoff home run off South Dakota pitcher Clara Edwards. This impressive feat was notable considering Edwards' track record of allowing just four home runs leading up to the game. With the Tommies already up 2-0, Kaitlyn Raymond kept the momentum going with a clutch double. Raymond then showcased her speed by stealing third base. The pressure continued to mount on South Dakota as Cassidy Carby reached base on an error, allowing Raymond to run home and extend the Tommie lead to 3-0.
In the fourth inning, South Dakota managed to notch their first and only run of the game. Despite not securing any hits in the inning, they capitalized on a sacrifice fly to narrow the St. Thomas lead to two runs.
The St. Thomas offense continued to sizzle in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sydney Mickett kicked off the action with a full-count walk, setting the stage for the top of the lineup to shine once again. Avery Wukawitz wasted no time, driving the first pitch she saw into the gap for a double, advancing pinch runner Miki Snider to third base. With runners now threatening in scoring position, Kaitlyn Raymond executed a flawless bunt, perfectly placed to bring Snider home. With the Tommies extending their lead to three runs once more, South Dakota rallied to retire three consecutive St. Thomas batters, halting the scoring spree and ending the fourth inning with a 4-1 Tommie lead.
After another scorless inning from South Dakota, the momentum kept rolling for St. Thomas as Abbi Stierlen kickstarted the inning with a leadoff single. Ruby Moore entered the game as a pinch runner for Stierlen, wasting no time in showcasing her speed by stealing second base. Keeping the pressure on, Kameron Monson then delivered a line drive single to left field, advancing Moore to third. The Tommies kept the wheels turning, making strategic substitutions with Anna Caruso coming in to pinch run for Monson. With Kenzie Miller stepping up to the plate, Caruso seized the opportunity to steal second base, giving Moore the green light to steal home. The brilliant moves from the Tommies'pinch runners paid off, widening the gap to a comfortable four-run lead. With Miller still at the plate, she delivered a clutch single that brought Caruso home, further extending the Purple lead to a commanding five runs.
In the top of the sixth inning, Christina Crawford continued her stellar performance, pitching her second one-two-three inning of the game.
In the final inning, Christina Crawford wrapped up the game by pitching three consecutive outs. This marked her third 1-2-3 inning of the game, capping off a strong performance. With Crawford's solid pitching, the Tommies secured a 6-1 victory.
GAME TWO RECAP
After a quiet first inning for both teams, it was South Dakota who broke the silence in the second inning of the game. The Coyotes managed to put up two runs in the inning and threatened to score even more. With the bases loaded, Keira Murphy delivered a crucial strikeout, putting an end to the inning and halting South Dakota's offensive momentum.
In the third inning, Morgan Klein took over pitching duties, just as she did last weekend. She held the Coyotes scoreless in her first inning of relief.
In the fourth inning, South Dakota managed to extend their lead to three runs after scoring on a wild pitch. In the bottom half of the frame, Kaitlyn Raymond led off with a skillful bunt. With Raymond on base, Laken Lienhard reached first and advanced Raymond on a South Dakota fielding error. The Coyotes' defensive struggles continued when a wild pitch and a passed ball allowed Raymond to race home, while also moving Lienhard to third base.
Capitalizing on the opportunity, Cassidy Carby drew a walk, setting the stage for Abbi Stierlen to drive Lienhard home with a groundout to second base, narrowing South Dakota's lead to just one run. With pinch runner Ruby Moore now on second base, Maddie Grad, echoing her performance from the previous weekend, delivered a clutch RBI double to tie the game at three runs apiece.
In the fifth inning, South Dakota was unable to add to their score, as the Tommies' defense held firm. It became the Kaitlyn Raymond show, as she stepped up and delivered a pivotal triple for the Tommies. Laken Lienhard, facing a two-strike count, came through with a clutch RBI single up the middle, propelling the Tommies into the lead with a score of 4-3.
Morgan Klein stepped up once again and delivered another clutch inning on the mound. She held the Coyotes scoreless, not allowing any batters to reach base in the sixth inning.
After a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning for the Tommies, South Dakota had one final opportunity to make a comeback. With the game on the line, a series of wild pitches led to South Dakota to runners on second and third with two outs.
In a moment of pressure, Abbi Stierlen rose to the occasion, tracking down a foul ball just inside the fence. With the catch, Stierlen secured the second victory of the day for the Tommies, preserving their hard-earned lead and clinching the win in a nail-biting finish.
UP NEXT
The Tommies look for their second Summit League Series sweep of the season tomorrow with first pitch set for 11:00 a.m. with the South Dakota Coyotes.
In game one, Christina Crawford delivered yet another stellar performance in the circle for the Tommies, pitching a complete game and securing her fourth consecutive win. Her dominance on the field was matched by an explosive offensive display from the Tommies. The lineup was ablaze with five players notching multi-hit performances. Eight hitters reached base at least once.
Game two unfolded as a nail-biter, with the Tommies staging an impressive comeback after trailing by three runs in the fourth inning. Morgan Klein, stepping up in relief, secured her first victory of the year, playing a pivotal role in the Tommies' triumph. With this win, St. Thomas improved its Summit League conference record to 7-7 and overall 2024 mark to 13-31 with seven games left to play.
GAME ONE RECAP
In the opening inning, South Dakota's batters could not get away from center fielder Avery Wukawitz, who recorded all three outs for St. Thomas. The Tommies struck early in the bottom half when Laken Lienhard's double set up Morgan Klein's RBI single, giving them a 1-0 lead.
The second inning remained quiet, with Kenzie Miller's single being the only action in a scoreless frame for both teams.
Avery Wukawitz kicked off the third inning with a bang, launching a leadoff home run off South Dakota pitcher Clara Edwards. This impressive feat was notable considering Edwards' track record of allowing just four home runs leading up to the game. With the Tommies already up 2-0, Kaitlyn Raymond kept the momentum going with a clutch double. Raymond then showcased her speed by stealing third base. The pressure continued to mount on South Dakota as Cassidy Carby reached base on an error, allowing Raymond to run home and extend the Tommie lead to 3-0.
In the fourth inning, South Dakota managed to notch their first and only run of the game. Despite not securing any hits in the inning, they capitalized on a sacrifice fly to narrow the St. Thomas lead to two runs.
The St. Thomas offense continued to sizzle in the bottom of the fourth inning. Sydney Mickett kicked off the action with a full-count walk, setting the stage for the top of the lineup to shine once again. Avery Wukawitz wasted no time, driving the first pitch she saw into the gap for a double, advancing pinch runner Miki Snider to third base. With runners now threatening in scoring position, Kaitlyn Raymond executed a flawless bunt, perfectly placed to bring Snider home. With the Tommies extending their lead to three runs once more, South Dakota rallied to retire three consecutive St. Thomas batters, halting the scoring spree and ending the fourth inning with a 4-1 Tommie lead.
After another scorless inning from South Dakota, the momentum kept rolling for St. Thomas as Abbi Stierlen kickstarted the inning with a leadoff single. Ruby Moore entered the game as a pinch runner for Stierlen, wasting no time in showcasing her speed by stealing second base. Keeping the pressure on, Kameron Monson then delivered a line drive single to left field, advancing Moore to third. The Tommies kept the wheels turning, making strategic substitutions with Anna Caruso coming in to pinch run for Monson. With Kenzie Miller stepping up to the plate, Caruso seized the opportunity to steal second base, giving Moore the green light to steal home. The brilliant moves from the Tommies'pinch runners paid off, widening the gap to a comfortable four-run lead. With Miller still at the plate, she delivered a clutch single that brought Caruso home, further extending the Purple lead to a commanding five runs.
In the top of the sixth inning, Christina Crawford continued her stellar performance, pitching her second one-two-three inning of the game.
In the final inning, Christina Crawford wrapped up the game by pitching three consecutive outs. This marked her third 1-2-3 inning of the game, capping off a strong performance. With Crawford's solid pitching, the Tommies secured a 6-1 victory.
GAME TWO RECAP
After a quiet first inning for both teams, it was South Dakota who broke the silence in the second inning of the game. The Coyotes managed to put up two runs in the inning and threatened to score even more. With the bases loaded, Keira Murphy delivered a crucial strikeout, putting an end to the inning and halting South Dakota's offensive momentum.
In the third inning, Morgan Klein took over pitching duties, just as she did last weekend. She held the Coyotes scoreless in her first inning of relief.
In the fourth inning, South Dakota managed to extend their lead to three runs after scoring on a wild pitch. In the bottom half of the frame, Kaitlyn Raymond led off with a skillful bunt. With Raymond on base, Laken Lienhard reached first and advanced Raymond on a South Dakota fielding error. The Coyotes' defensive struggles continued when a wild pitch and a passed ball allowed Raymond to race home, while also moving Lienhard to third base.
Capitalizing on the opportunity, Cassidy Carby drew a walk, setting the stage for Abbi Stierlen to drive Lienhard home with a groundout to second base, narrowing South Dakota's lead to just one run. With pinch runner Ruby Moore now on second base, Maddie Grad, echoing her performance from the previous weekend, delivered a clutch RBI double to tie the game at three runs apiece.
In the fifth inning, South Dakota was unable to add to their score, as the Tommies' defense held firm. It became the Kaitlyn Raymond show, as she stepped up and delivered a pivotal triple for the Tommies. Laken Lienhard, facing a two-strike count, came through with a clutch RBI single up the middle, propelling the Tommies into the lead with a score of 4-3.
Morgan Klein stepped up once again and delivered another clutch inning on the mound. She held the Coyotes scoreless, not allowing any batters to reach base in the sixth inning.
After a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning for the Tommies, South Dakota had one final opportunity to make a comeback. With the game on the line, a series of wild pitches led to South Dakota to runners on second and third with two outs.
In a moment of pressure, Abbi Stierlen rose to the occasion, tracking down a foul ball just inside the fence. With the catch, Stierlen secured the second victory of the day for the Tommies, preserving their hard-earned lead and clinching the win in a nail-biting finish.
UP NEXT
The Tommies look for their second Summit League Series sweep of the season tomorrow with first pitch set for 11:00 a.m. with the South Dakota Coyotes.
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