Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
After suffering a heartbreaking loss late in game two of Sunday's doubleheader with Carleton College, the St. Catherine University softball team hoped it could recover against Hamline University despite a quick one-day turnaround. 

Thanks to a strong hitting day from Alyssa McKee (Spring Lake Park, Minn.)  – who hit a home run in each game – the Wildcats defeated the Pipers 11-3 in the opening game before falling 7-6 in the bottom of the seventh in the late game Monday in St. Paul. 

The Wildcats picked up their first Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) win with a 12-hit performance and a strong pitching day from Lindsey Klein (Shoreview, Minn.) on the mound. The first-year threw a complete game for her second win of the season and allowed just five Piper hits while striking out five batters. 

At the plate, McKee not only hit a three-run shot in the fifth inning, but finished the first game 3-for-4 with six RBI and one run scored. Alyssa Luedtke (Spring Lake Park, Minn.) also picked up three hits for two RBI and scored three runs. 

Luedtke scored in the first on an RBI from Cassie Rooney (Plymouth, Minn.) and again in the third on an RBI single from McKee to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead early. Alyssa Besch (Apple Valley, Minn.) added an RBI single in the fourth to increase the lead to 3-0. 

McKee hit a three-run shot in the fifth to give the Wildcats a commanding 6-0 lead  – or so it seemed. The Pipers appeared as if they might make a comeback in the bottom of the fifth as they scored three runs to cut the Wildcat lead to just three. 

But the Wildcats weren't ready to slow down as they roared back with five runs in the top of the sixth. Raven Baker (Minneapolis, Minn.), Caitlin DeWitt (Stillwater, Minn.) and Rosie Uribe (Palmdale, Calif.) each scored for the Wildcats in the final inning as pinch runners. 

Senior Ashley Matthys (Elk River, Minn.) also finished game one with two hits, an RBI and one run scored to add to the Wildcat attack. 

In the late game, Hamline took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the Wildcats responded with four runs in the third inning before adding two more in the fourth to take a convincing 6-1 lead. 

However, the Pipers slowly chipped away as Laura Randall hit a two-run homer in the fifth to cut down the Wildcat lead before a seventh-inning rally lifted the Pipers to a 7-6 victory over the Wildcats. 

Despite falling just short of a second MIAC victory, the Wildcats had another 12-hit outing in game two which was highlighted by a second home run from McKee and another from Jessica Tyminski (Champlin, Minn.). 

The Wildcats also got two-hit performances at the plate from Jenna Brady (Greenfield, Minn.), Shae Elliott (Richfield, Minn.) and Luedtke, as well as her sister Kaitlyn Luedtke (Spring Lake Park, Minn.) who was 2-for-3 with one run scored. 

With the split, the Wildcats maintain a winning overall record at 9-8, but fall to 1-3 in MIAC play. The Wildcat home opener is slated for Wednesday against Bethel University at 3:30 p.m. 

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