Riding the arm of senior pitcher Lexy Determan, Luther College (41-4) defeated St. Thomas (42-6) 4-3 Sunday in Eau Claire, Wis., ending the Tommies’ season and capturing its second consecutive NCAA Division III regional championship.
Determan, who improved her record to 25-2 on the season, pitched a complete game, holding the Tommies to three runs on five hits with five strikeouts. It was Determan’s second win in two days against St. Thomas. She led Luther to a perfect 4-0 record in the regional.
“She’s a really good pitcher,” St. Thomas senior Sydney Marquardt said. “She has a rise ball, and she placed it well. We popped up a lot.”
Things looked bright for the Tommies in the beginning. Freshman Emily Gregory hit a lead-off double to start the second inning, and an RBI single from senior Chandran Duffy scored pinch runner Maria McQuillan.
“We were really excited,” sophomore Alyssa Dunrud said. “We always just say that if we score first then that gets the momentum on our side.”
Luther battled back in the third inning, evening the score on designated hitter Abby Christian’s RBI single down the right field line, which scored center fielder Shari Huber. St. Thomas pitcher Christy Gries battled out of a jam with the help of the Tommie defense. She stranded two runners on base.
In the fourth inning, the Norse got a boost from a Mallory Broderick triple with two outs. The next batter up, Elisa Smith, broke the tie with a hard-hit single off Gries. Luther added an additional run in the fifth inning after Duffy muffed a throw at second base, sending Huber home for the second time in the game.
Down 3-1, the Tommies chipped away at the Norse’s lead in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, junior Kayla Boward hit an RBI single. St. Thomas could not capitalize on the opportunity, however, stranding three runners on base.
“It was hard to leave the runners on base when you’re facing a pitcher like that,” Dunrud said. “[Becky Eichens] had a really great at-bat, she just didn’t score somebody. That was rough.”
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Gries allowed a run for the third consecutive inning after Norse left fielder Kelsey Weindruch hit an RBI double to center field. Gries lasted six innings for the Tommies, giving up four runs on eight hits. She did not record a strikeout.
“She actually had a good day,” Marquardt said. “Christy hits her spots well, and she throws strikes. We had a couple of errors that really cost us.They shouldn’t have had four runs on her.”
With one last shot to save their season, the Tommies opened the seventh inning with two walks, putting a runner in scoring position. Senior Erica Wilson picked up an RBI on a ground out to second base, moving freshman Brook Selisker to third with two outs. With the game on the line, Marquardt, an All-American, stepped to the plate but could not deliver, flying out to second base to end the game.
“[Marquardt] is the one [who] I would pick in any situation,” Dunrud said. “I had all the confidence that she could do it. Obviously if she did get out she’s not the one to blame … it’s just hard when it’s the last out.”
Luther will travel to Salem, Va., May 20-24, for the NCAA Division III softball championships. Luther’s best finish at the national championships was fourth in 1985 and 1990. Last year, the Norse finished fifth.
For Marquardt and seven other Tommies, Sunday was their last collegiate game.
“It was a really great season,” Marquardt said. “I think we did the best that we could have, and we put it all out on the field. It’s hard for everybody.”
“This has been one of the best teams I’ve ever played on,” Dunrud said. “Nobody would have expected us to be where we ended up.”
Ryan Shaver can be reached at shav7005@stthomas.edu.