Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 After several weeks off of competition early in the 2014 season, St. Catherine University softball team hoped to kick off its spring trip with several wins. But it wasn't going to be easy as the Wildcats faced Colby and Middlebury Colleges – two schools that compete in the New England Small College Athletic Conference that boasts some of the top programs in Division III. Unfortunately, the Wildcats couldn't over come several big innings from both of their opponents in falling 12-8 to Colby and 8-1 to Middlebury Monday at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla. 

In the opening game against Colby, the Wildcats answered the Mules' three-run first inning with runs from both Alyssa Luedtke (Spring Lake Park, Minn.) and Kaitlyn Luedtke (Spring Lake Park, Minn.) in the bottom of the first. The Mules then held the Wildcats scoreless through the top of the sixth and pushed their lead to 11-2. However, the Wildcats weren't going to go quietly as they batted through the order for six runs in the bottom of the sixth to make it 11-8. But that's as close as they would come in dropping their first spring break game of the season.

Following the loss to Colby, the Wildcats managed to hold Middlebury – a 2013 NESCAC playoff qualifier – scoreless through the first three innings and jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Lindsey Klein (Shoreview, Minn.) hit her first collegiate home run in the top of the fourth. The Panthers responded quickly, though, with four runs in the bottom of the inning before sealing the win with two in each the fifth and sixth innings. 

On the day, Alyssa Luedtke had three two hits in seven at bats with one run scored to lead the Wildcats at the plate. Klein added to her big hitting day with her first collegiate double in the game one loss to the Mules. She finished the day with two hits, two RBI and the lone Wildcat run against Middlebury. 

Senior Alyssa McKee (Spring Lake Park, Minn.) picked up two doubles at the plate for the Wildcats and added a run against the Mules, while Jessica Tyminski (Champlin, Minn.) and Caitlin DeWitt (Stillwater, Minn.) each had a hit and a run in the opening game. Kaitlyn Luedtke led the team with two runs on the day as well as a sacrifice hit. 

Larrissa Karl (Buffalo Lake, Minn.) and Callie Boelter (Henderson, Minn.) each picked up a hit on the day. Klein pitched the loss against the Mules in game one, while Rachel Thompson (St. Peter, Minn.) recorded the loss on the mound against the Panthers. 

The Wildcats return to action Tuesday with two more games on tap. The first is scheduled for 8 a.m. (CST) against SUNY-Potsdam followed by a 10 a.m. game against Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Clermont. 

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