University of St. Thomas Athletics
Saturday, February 28
Tuscaloosa, Ala. / Rhoads Stadium
4:00 p.m. CT
13-5
2
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South Florida
16-8
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2
3
4
5
6
7
R
H
E
St. Thomas
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
2
3
1
USF
0
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1
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0
1
4
1
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski
Huge day on the diamond for Softball
2/28/2026 11:14:00 PM | Softball
The Toms gritted out a 2-1 win over South Florida and run-ruled Kent State for the second time
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – St. Thomas Softball (14-5) continued its best start in program history on Saturday with a 2-1 win over South Florida (16-8) and 9-1 five-inning win over Kent State (8-10). Ava Kleinfeldt and Mya Tautges each earned complete game victories without allowing a single earned run.
Game One
Ava Kleinfeldt earned her sixth win of the season and allowed just one run in the third inning after a lead off error made in the field. She worked around four hits in seven innings with seven strikeouts. She has not allowed an earned run in 13 innings.
The Tommies' offense was stunted through four innings but broke out for the two runs it needed in the top of the fifth. Maddy Freking got the inning start with a walk and was replaced by Zoe Trotter after a fielder's choice. Avery Wukawitz walked and then advanced to second on an RBI single from Abbi Stierlen. Ella Cook put the ball in play and Wukawitz scored to take advantage of a South Florida error.
Once Kleinfeldt got the lead, she worked a 1-2-3 fifth, a one-hit sixth, and a one-hit seventh.
St. Thomas' three hits were all singles from Stierlen, Freking, and Cassidy Carby. The offense also drew five walks, two taken by Lienhard and one to Wukawitz, Cook, and Freking.
Game Two
The Tommies scored in all four of their half-innings to run-rule the Kent State Golden Flashes for the second time in as many days. They scored one in the first, two in the second, three in the third, and three more in the fourth.
Mya Tautges' lone run given up came on an errant throw in the top of the second inning. The freshman hurler allowed two hits and four walks with five strikeouts in five complete innings of work for her third win.
The Purple only tallied six hits in their nine-run outburst but worked 11 walks, a single-game program record (11 against Creighton 3/24/25). Avery Wukawitz led the walk-charge with four bases-on-balls and three runs scored along with a stolen base. Laken Lienhard and Abbi Stierlen each drew two walks. Tautges, Grace Nosan, and Brier Blietz each walked once to be a part of their team's historic walking performance.
Tautges and Lienhard also each notched two RBI with Kyllie Weingart's two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth acting as the final blow to force the run-rule.
A one-out walk was all the Golden Flashes could muster in the top of the fifth before Tautges and the Tommies snuffed their chances of prolonging the game.
Up Next
The Tommies' final game at the Crimson Classic is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. tomorrow morning against #7 Alabama (18-0). The
Follow Along
For any and all information pertaining to the St. Thomas softball team, follow along on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) at @TommieSoftball.
Game One
Ava Kleinfeldt earned her sixth win of the season and allowed just one run in the third inning after a lead off error made in the field. She worked around four hits in seven innings with seven strikeouts. She has not allowed an earned run in 13 innings.
The Tommies' offense was stunted through four innings but broke out for the two runs it needed in the top of the fifth. Maddy Freking got the inning start with a walk and was replaced by Zoe Trotter after a fielder's choice. Avery Wukawitz walked and then advanced to second on an RBI single from Abbi Stierlen. Ella Cook put the ball in play and Wukawitz scored to take advantage of a South Florida error.
Once Kleinfeldt got the lead, she worked a 1-2-3 fifth, a one-hit sixth, and a one-hit seventh.
St. Thomas' three hits were all singles from Stierlen, Freking, and Cassidy Carby. The offense also drew five walks, two taken by Lienhard and one to Wukawitz, Cook, and Freking.
Game Two
The Tommies scored in all four of their half-innings to run-rule the Kent State Golden Flashes for the second time in as many days. They scored one in the first, two in the second, three in the third, and three more in the fourth.
Mya Tautges' lone run given up came on an errant throw in the top of the second inning. The freshman hurler allowed two hits and four walks with five strikeouts in five complete innings of work for her third win.
The Purple only tallied six hits in their nine-run outburst but worked 11 walks, a single-game program record (11 against Creighton 3/24/25). Avery Wukawitz led the walk-charge with four bases-on-balls and three runs scored along with a stolen base. Laken Lienhard and Abbi Stierlen each drew two walks. Tautges, Grace Nosan, and Brier Blietz each walked once to be a part of their team's historic walking performance.
Tautges and Lienhard also each notched two RBI with Kyllie Weingart's two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth acting as the final blow to force the run-rule.
A one-out walk was all the Golden Flashes could muster in the top of the fifth before Tautges and the Tommies snuffed their chances of prolonging the game.
Up Next
The Tommies' final game at the Crimson Classic is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. tomorrow morning against #7 Alabama (18-0). The
Follow Along
For any and all information pertaining to the St. Thomas softball team, follow along on Instagram and X (formerly known as Twitter) at @TommieSoftball.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kleinfeldt, Ava (6-2)
L: ANNE LONG (5-3)
Batting:
RBI: Stierlen, Abbi 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wukawitz, Avery 1 ; Trotter, Zoe 1
Batting:
2B: KATHY GARCIA-SOTO 1
3B: KATHY GARCIA-SOTO 1
RBI: KATHY GARCIA-SOTO 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SAM WALZ 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Softball
C/UT
/ SoftballINF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
SS
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C
/ SoftballOF/SS
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