Area Female Athlete: Pequot's Miska mowing down competition

Kathryn Miska

Year: Senior

School: Pequot Lakes

Sport: Softball

Position: Pitcher

Highlights: Finished week 4-0 with three shutouts, 52 strikeouts, three walks, 10 hits, two earned runs allowed

Despite the increased pressure of state tournament expectations, Kathryn Miska is calling this season her favorite so far.

And when that team is 7-0, ranked third in Class 2A and outscoring opponents 72-5, it's bound to be fun.

A big reason for the success of the Pequot Lakes Patriots is Miska. The senior is mowing down opposing batters at an impressive rate.

"She gets into a zone and I don't know," Pequot head coach Bret Sergent said. "She's around the plate, but then she has a curveball and a screwball that breaks into right-handed batters and then she throws a little rise ball in there and if she gets all of her pitches going she's tough to hit."

Miska said her screwball and changeup are working well this season. This offseason she concentrated on lifting weights, specifically working on her legs and core.

"Our expectations are really high this year," Miska said. "We're looking to go to state this year and win. That's our goal. This team, they are the best team I've ever played with. This season has been so much fun."

Not so for batters who have to face the two-year ace.

During a Mid-State Conference sweep of Staples-Motley April 19, Miska and the Patriots posted 13-4 and 14-0 wins. Two days later she shut out Osakis 7-0 and then blanked Pierz 5-0.

In those four games last week, the senior allowed 10 hits, two earned runs and three walks. She struck out 52 in 27 innings.

In the win against Pierz, the first 16 outs were Miska strikeouts.

"Yes," was her answer when asked if her fellow fielders get bored watching her strike out batters.

"I think her fielding has gotten better and her focus," said Sergent. "She's on a mission right now. She wants to help us get back to state. She is throwing harder this year than she did last year. Her changeup is working better. She's throwing the ball around, plus she is throwing harder.

"Last year she was a big part of the team, but this year she's taken on more of a leadership role, too."

Miska has already signed to pitch next season at St. Cloud State University. Where she's pitching next year is one less thing she has to worry about. Now she can focus on helping Pequot win games.

Which she is also doing at the plate.

In 23 at bats, she's batting .435 with 10 hits, four doubles and three home runs. She owns a slugging percentage of 1.304 and an on-base percentage of .458. She's driven in a team-high 12 runs.

"When she hits it, it is hit hard and it's a line shot," Sergent said. "She is hitting the ball better this year, too. She's hitting with power. I think she's a little more focused at the plate, too."

Miska said she enjoys batting as much as she does pitching, but her personal goals are to break all of her records from last year. And she's on pace

This season, Miska is 7-0. In 42 innings she has allowed 15 hits and three earned runs. She's walked six and struck out 77 for a 0.50 ERA.

Last season, Miska threw 134.1 innings. She struck out 245 and walked 41. She allowed 64 hits and 27 earned runs for a 1.41 ERA.

At the plate last season, she hit .327 with three doubles, three home runs, 13 RBIs and one stole base.

"I think signing with St. Cloud State has given her a real focus on what she needs to do and how to get better," Sergent said. "There is always room for improvement, but she's got a good work ethic. And now she has a purpose. I think she'll be very successful there.

"This year I see her, her leadership, she wants the other girls to be successful, too. She's working hard on her skills, but she is always helping the other pitchers out. Talking to the other girls. She's really focused on her teammates, too, this year."

Other notable performances:

Softball: Alyssa Gall, Pierz, finished 3-4 with three RBIs and two doubles against Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa.

Miah Hanson, Pine River-Backus, struck out 11, walked one and allowed just three hits in a shutout victory over Kelliher/Northome. She was also 2-4 with a double and two RBIs.

Brooke Hunstad, Pillager, finished 3-4 with three RBIs and pitched a complete-game victory over Wadena-Deer Creek.

JEREMY MILLSOP may be reached at 855-5856 or jeremy.millsop@brainerddispatch.com . Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jeremymillsop .