Kylie Macziewski '18 was a softball offensive and defensive powerhouse in the Wildcats' winning weekend. Photo by Kelsey Whaley.
The St. °µÍø½ûÇø softball team could not have asked for a better weekend. The first time this season, the Wildcats earned two Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) sweeps over Concordia College and Macalester College Saturday and Sunday, improving their overall record to 24-10 and 10-4 in MIAC play. Key to St. Kate’s success was none other than junior shortstop Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson), who, thanks to her performances against the Cobbers and Scots, has been named Wildcat Athlete-of-the-Week.
Macziewski was instrumental to St. Kate's success last weekend with both her offensive and defensive play. The junior shortstop was 10-15 at the plate, with 10 RBI and 9 runs on 2 doubles and 2 home runs for a 1.200 slugging percentage and scored 90 percent of the time she reached base. Macziewski was also one of the Wildcats most clutch hitters, as her RBI single in the third against the Cobbers tied the game 1-1. In that particular series, Macziewski was 7-9 at the plate, with eight RBIs and six runs. She also hit two home runs, one in the first game and the other in the second, to help St. Kate’s score a combined 34 runs against the Cobbers.
She was also impressive in St. Kate’s second series of the weekend, as she was 3-6 at the plate in the Wildcats sweep of Macalester. However, it was her defensive play that starred in Sunday’s series, as the junior shortstop piloted a huge double play in game two that ended the Scots best chance of scoring all afternoon. Macziewski also did not commit an error at shortstop in 12 chances over the weekend.
After the impressive weekend, Macziewski is now hitting .378 on the season, the third highest batting average on the team, and ranks in the top-5 in multiple statistical categories. She also is second in the MIAC in home runs (6) behind teammate Jenna George (Ellsworth, Wis./Ellsworth).