DULUTH, Minn. – For the second consecutive year, the St. Scholastica softball team will open the double-elimination NCAA Regional Tournament against Luther College with the first game of the Pella, Iowa Regional at 10 a.m. Friday.
Game Time:
Friday vs. Luther – 10 a.m. (A.N. Kuyper Athletics Complex)
Other Opening Round Games Friday:
No. 2 Central vs. No. 5 UW-River Falls – Noon
No. 3 St. Thomas vs. No. 4 Coe – 2 p.m.
GameDay Media:
Regional Website |
Ticket Information |
Directions |
Live Stats |
Live Video
Last Action:
The Saints won all three games to capture their fourth consecutive UMAC Tournament championship over the weekend at Kenwood Field. The Saints played a pair of tight games on Friday as they were out-hit in both contests and had to break away from a pair of 3-3 ties in the sixth inning to win both games, including a walk-off win over Northwestern College on a suicide squeeze. Then in Saturday's championship game,
Merryssa Tiedeman (Zumbrota, Minn/Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS) went 3-for-3 with a home run and a career-high five RBIs in a 9-0 win over the University of Minnesota Morris.
No. 6 seed-St. Scholastica Saints (30-12, 20-1 UMAC)
The Saints are in the NCAA Regional Tournament for the second straight year and third time in program history (2006) … CSS got into the tournament by earning the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference's automatic qualifier after winning the tournament title on Saturday … Last season at the Eau Claire Regional, the Saints fell to Luther in the opening round, but bounced back the next day to defeat North Central College (Ill.) 3-1 … CSS was eliminated on the third day with a 3-2 loss to Ripon College (Wis.) … In the program's first NCAA Regional appearance in 2006, the Saints traveled to Indianola, Iowa and won its opening round game against 15th-ranked Washington University of St. Louis, before falling twice to No. 1-ranked University of St. Thomas and No. 8-ranked Wartburg College (Iowa) … 2011 UMAC Player of the Year
Bonnie Kowalczyk (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls HS) once again paces the Saints' offense this season … The three-time first team All-UMAC performer led the conference with a .887 slugging percentage, .544 on-base percentage, 56 RBIs, 18 doubles, nine home runs, 94 total bases and 25 walks … Her 56 RBIs set a single-season program record and her 18 doubles are currently tied with Tiedeman's program record … Kowalczyk is third NCAA Division III in RBIs per game (1.47) and is eighth in slugging percentage … Other Saints named first team All-UMAC this week include seniors
Merryssa Tiedeman (Zumbrota, Minn/Zumbrota-Mazeppa HS) and
Theresa Tauer (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) along with junior pitcher
Darcy Roach (East Grand Forks, Minn./Sacred Heart HS) … Tiedeman led the conference in runs scored (48) and was fourth in hits (54), total bases (84) and second in walks (19) … Tiedeman is only two runs shy from tying the single-season program record … Tauer finished second in the conference in runs scored (39), total bases (89) and was third in hits (57), RBIs (43), and doubles (17) … During the year she broke program records for RBIs (154) and doubles (53) in a career … She is just one hit shy from becoming the third Saint in program history to record 200 hits in a career … Both Tiedeman and Tauer were also named to the league's All-Defensive Team … Roach led the conference with 19 victories, 148.1 innings pitched, 157 strikeouts and two saves … Opponents hit only .242 against her and in league games she had a 1.01 earned run average and recorded 83 strikeouts to just eight walks … Roach pitched every inning of the UMAC Tournament over the weekend and struck out 24, while allowing only one walk … As a team the Saints set a single-season records for longest winning streak (19), stolen bases (110) and tied the record for most home wins (13) and home runs (33).
Notable NCAA Leaders: Team: 4th in runs per game (7.8), 6th in Slugging Pct. (.540), 8th in Stolen Bases per game (2.6), 14th in Triples per game (0.52), 15th in Batting Average (.352), 20th in Home Runs per game (0.79), 21st in Doubles per game (1.93); Bonnie Kowalczyk (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Menomonee Falls HS): 3rd in RBIs per game (1.47), 8th in Slugging Pct. (.887), 15th in Doubles per game (0.47).
No. 1 seed-Luther College (Iowa) Norse (36-6, 15-1 IIAC)
Location: Decorah, Iowa
Conference: Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Notables: Luther enters the regional tournament ranked sixth in the latest NFCA Division III top 25 poll … The Norse had been ranked in the top five of the poll all season up to this point … The Norse won their seventh IIAC regular season title by three games, but went 1-2 in the conference tournament over the weekend … Luther will be making its 13th overall appearance in the national tournament, its fourth in a row and fifth in the past six years … Luther has won the regional in each of the past two seasons and placed fifth at the Nationals in 2010 and seventh last season… Leading the pitching staff for Luther this season is Becca Girvan with a 25-4 record and 212 strikeouts with a 1.14 earned run average … At the plate, Kelsey Kittleson has a team-high eight home runs and 43 RBIs.
Notable NCAA Leaders: Team: 14th in Fielding Pct. (.968), 16th in Earned Run Average (1.64); Becca Girvan: 5th in Victories (25), 8th in Hits Allowed per 7 innings (3.71), 11th in Strikeouts (212), 14th in Earned Run Average (1.14), 22nd in Shutouts (7), 27th in Strikeouts per 7 innings (8.0); Abby Christian: 14th in Sacrifice Flies (4).
Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. Luther: 0-3)
The Norse defeated the Saints 3-0 at last year's Eau Claire Regional in the opening round. All-region pitcher Lexi Determan did not allow a CSS hit until the seventh inning. Roach also pitched well, only allowing six hits in six innings. Two of the three runs scored by Luther came with two outs.
No. 2 seed-Central College (Iowa) Dutch (35-8, 12-4 IIAC)
Location: Pella, Iowa
Conference: Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Notables: The Dutch enter the regional by way of earning the IIAC automatic qualifier by winning the conference tournament over the weekend … Central finished in second place in the IIAC during the regular season … The Dutch defeated Coe twice on Saturday to capture the tournament title … This will be Central's 24 NCAA Tournament appearance (fourth straight) in the last 27 years and have won four NCAA Championships with the last taking place in 2003 … The Dutch placed second at last year's regional, falling to Linfield College (Ore.) … This is the second straight year Central is hosting a NCAA Regional … The Dutch are currently ranked fifth in the NFCA Division III poll … Central coach George Wares in the winningest NCAA Division III coach in history … Annie Sarcone leads the offense with a .395 average, nine home runs and 46 RBIs … Inside the pitching circle, Rhianna Fleetwood and Brie Haycraft have split time with Fleetwood having more wins (16) and ERA (1.11).
Notable NCAA Leaders: Team: 4th in Double Plays per game (0.53), 5th in Stolen Bases per game (2.79), 15th in Earned Run Average (1.61), Fielding Pct. (.968); Rhianna Fleetwood: 13th in Earned Run Average (1.11); Brie Haycraft: 10th in Saves (4); Kyrie Hale: 3rd in Sacrifice Flies (5).
Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. Central: 0-3)
The Dutch swept the Saints in a doubleheader in Eau Claire last season by scores of 3-2 and 10-2. Roach pitched well against the Dutch, allowing only six hits in six innings in the game one loss where Central scored the game winner in the top of the sixth. Three errors hurt the Saints in the game two loss.
No. 3 seed-University of St. Thomas Tommies (37-7, 21-2 MIAC)
Location: St. Paul, Minn.
Conference: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Notables: The Tommies are making their 15th NCAA Regional appearance in the last 16 seasons and 19th overall … St. Thomas won the MIAC's regular season and tournament championships to receive the automatic qualifier … It was the ninth straight MIAC Tournament title for the Tommies … St. Thomas is ranked 11th in the NFCA poll … Kimmy Hassel leads the Tommies offensively with a .497 batting average and 41 RBIs … Emily Gregory has a team-high nine home runs, while Tisa Phinney enters the regional on a 21-game hitting streak … Freshman Kendra Bowe patrols the rubber with a 22-1 record, 158 strikeouts and a 1.20 earned run average.
Notable NCAA Leaders: Team: 3rd in Batting Avg. (.371), 5th in Double Plays per game (0.52), 12th in Doubles per game (2.02), 12th in Slugging Pct. (.521), 16th in Runs per Game (7.1); Kendra Bowe: 12th in Hits Allowed per 7 innings (4.35), 13th in Victories (22), 16th in Earned Run Average (1.20); Kimmy Hassel: 12th in Batting Avg. (.497).
Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. St. Thomas: 2-10)
The Tommies swept the Saints in three games during the 2006 season. Both of CSS's victories in the series were one-run contests.
No. 4 seed-Coe College (Iowa) Kohawks (34-11, 9-7 IIAC)
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Conference: Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Notables: The Kohawks are making their 12th NCAA Regional Tournament appearance and made it to the national tournament in 2006 and 2009 … Coe is ranked 19th in the NFCA poll … The Kohawks placed fourth in the IIAC during the regular season, but made it all the way to the tournament championship game where they lost twice to Central … On its way to the championship round, Coe defeated Luther and Central … Sidney Ridout leads the team with a .333 batting average and nine home runs … Amanda Hanson and Abby Flannagan have also hit nine home runs with Flannagan leading the team with 32 RBIs … Ashlee Simon leads the pitching staff with a 20-5 record, 287 strikeouts and a 1.01 earned run average.
Notable NCAA Leaders: Team: 5th in Fielding Pct. (.972), 10th in Home Runs per game (0.89); Ashlee Simon: 2nd in Strikeouts (287), 2nd in Strikeouts per 7 innings (12.1) … 3rd in Shutouts (12), 3rd in Hits Allowed per 7 innings (3.07), 8th in Earned Run Average (1.01), 19th in Victories (20).
Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. Coe: 1-2)
The Kohawks swept the Saints in Cedar Rapids in 2010 by scores of 8-0 and 5-0. CSS managed just one hit in the game one loss and only two in the second game.
No. 5 seed-University of Wisconsin-River Falls Falcons (30-13, 10-6 WIAC)
Location: River Falls, Wis.
Conference: Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Notables: The Falcons are coming off their second straight WIAC Tournament championship, which saw them win three games on the final day to capture the title … They were the first WIAC team since 2005 to win the championship by winning three games on the final day … River Falls placed third in the WIAC during the regular season … This will be the Falcons' fourth NCAA Regional Tournament appearance … The Falcons, along with the Saints are the only two teams not ranked in the NFCA Division III top 25 poll that are participating in this weekend's regional … The Falcons are led in hitting by Amanda Ryder with a .435 average … Ashley Goettl has a team-high 12 home runs and 46 RBIs … Rose Tusa leads the pitching staff with a 23-6 record, 225 strikeouts and a 1.62 ERA … The 23 wins are single-season program record.
Notable NCAA Leaders: Team: 6th in Home Runs per game (0.95), 24th in Fielding Pct. (.966); Rose Tusa: 8th in Strikeouts (225), 10th in Victories (23.0), 19th in Saves (3), 29th in Strikeouts per 7 innings (7.9); Ashley Goettl: 9th in Home Runs (12), 14th in Home Runs per game (0.28).
Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. UW-River Falls: 10-11)
The Falcons defeated the Saints 7-1 during the 2008 season. The only current Saint that played in that game was
Kayla Jenkins (Esko, Minn/Esko HS) and she pitched two innings. The Falcons have won the last five in the series.
