Sophomore outfielder Kenzie Miller scored the first run of St. Thomas softball’s fall exhibition season, setting the tone for the Tommies’ 3-2 and 5-1 sweep of Winona State Sunday afternoon at South Field.
The Tommies, who entered the season with a slew of new first-year players, faced off against the Division II Wildcats in their first Division I play. Along with new players, the Tommies also welcomed coach Jennifer Bagley Trotter and assistant coach Jen Walter.
Trotter, who was hired on June 29, 2021, said the fall season was about getting the team familiar with one another and the systems of play.
“It’s more about getting a little bit stronger, a little bit faster, a little bit more intuitive to the game,” Trotter said.
First game
St. Thomas junior pitcher Lauren Berridge closed the first game with a strikeout, allowing the Tommies to finish the game with their one-run lead still intact.
“I was really pleased with how we pitched today,” said Trotter. “I was also really pleased with the amount of speed we were able to show on the bases. I think that will also play in our hands pretty favorably going forward.”
Junior outfielder CJ Jacobson, who was awarded all-region and all-conference last season, suffered a foot injury during the summer but was able to join the batting order Sunday.
“We just came out, played as hard as we could, played up to what we know we can do, and just controlled what we could do,” said Jacobson.
Second game
A diving catch by left fielder Claire Bentfield at the end of the fifth inning sealed the fate of the Warriors, who had trailed by four runs since the third inning.
The Tommies scored five runs in the first two innings and maintained the lead for the rest of the game. Senior pitcher Kendall Hopkins, who pitched three innings in game two, said she was impressed by her teammates in their first showing.
“I think everyone got a chance to get in there, and everyone was able to perform really well,” Hopkins said. “It’s just fun to be able to play with the team for the first time and see your coaches under a live game scenario.”
First-year pitcher Christina Crawford, who made her collegiate debut in the second game, got four strikeouts in the three innings that she pitched. Two of those strikeouts were made back-to-back in the second inning.
“As a pitcher, it felt very good. Just having my team back me up, and being able to feel everything no matter what I threw, it was great,” Crawford said.
The Tommies take on Division II Concordia St. Paul on Saturday, Oct. 2, followed by a home matchup against University of Minnesota Duluth the next day.
Owen Larson can be reached at lars6521@stthomas.edu.