Boxscore
ST. PAUL, Minn. — St. Thomas has been a thorn in the side of the Saint Mary's University fastpitch softball team all season.
First, the Tommies swept the Cardinals (winning 7-0 and 8-2) during the regular season en route to capturing the MIAC regular-season title — by two games over the Cardinals.
Second, the Tommies pushed the Cardinals to the brink of elimination with a 6-1 win in the winner's bracket game of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament on Friday.
And third, UST pushed the Cardinals out of the conference tournament — and very well could have ended their season — with a 3-0 victory in the conference tournament's championship game on Saturday.
"It was a tough loss, but you have to tip your hat to St. Thomas, they got great pitching from (Janet) Nagle and they played a flawless game," said SMU coach Nikki Fennern, whose team's hopes of an NCAA postseason berth now rests in the hands of the NCAA selection committee, which will determine Sunday night who received the two nation's two at-large berths. "Nobody likes to end their season with a loss, but at least we went out losing to the defending national champion.
"This team put together a season that included 34 wins," continued Fennern, whose team opened Saturday's play with a 1-0 victory over Gustavus to earn a spot opposite St. Thomas in the title game. "We've done everything we can, now our fate rests in the committee's hands. I'm hopeful, but I'm also realistic — that's a chance, but it's pretty slim."
About as slim as the Cardinals' offensive production Saturday.
SMU managed just two hits off Nagle — a two-out, second-inning single by Melissa Mondo (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) and a two-out, seventh-inning base hit by Amy Lang (Oshkosh Wis.). Nagle did not allow a base runner past second base, walked two and struck out three in leading the Tommies to their 10th straight win over the Cardinals — and their 30th win in their last 34 games.
"We knew coming into this game that the key to beating St. Thomas is to string your hits together, and we didn't do that today," said Fennern. "I thought we had better at-bats today than we did Friday (in SMU's 6-1 loss to the Tommies), we were just catching the bottom half of the ball."
The Tommies jumped out in front 2-0 in the second inning of SMU starter Megan Wallisch (Loveland, Colo.), then added a single run in the sixth — on an RBI single by Maria Bye — to ice the victory.
"Offensively, we weren't great," continued Fennern. "We did what we had to do (to beat Gustavus), we just didn't have an answer for what St. Thomas threw at us."
The Cardinals' victory over Gustavus earlier in the day was all about offensive quality, rather than quantity.
Amy Edge (Montfort, Wis.) accounted for the Cardinals' lone hit vs. Gustavus pitcher Joyce DeWitz — but what a hit it was.
Edge delivered an RBI double in the bottom of the third, scoring Jenni Gutterman (Shoreview, Minn.) — who had reached on an error by GAC Meghan Powers — from second with the game's only run.
But one run was more than enough with Jenny Schipp (North St. Paul, Minn.) on the mound, as the SMU junior tossed a three-hit shutout, allowing singles in the second, and seventh — and never letting a Gustie runner past second base. Schipp, who moved into SMU's No. 2 spot all-time with her 22nd win, struck out three and walked two.
"I'm very proud of this team and all that we have accomplished this year," said Fennern. "Most teams judge their season using 20 wins as their measuring stick. To finish 34-10 is an outstanding season. Obviously it still hurts, but eventually, everyone will be able to look back on this year and realize what a great season it really was."
