Coming off two tough losses to Bethel University Friday, the St. Catherine University softball team faced another tough test at home Saturday as they were set to face a Hamline University team that held sole possession of first place in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). Heading into the doubleheader, neither team probably expected to play 22 innings of softball in just two-games time. And unfortunately for the Wildcats, despite holding leads heading into the top of the seventh in both games, they came up on the losing end as the Pipers took game one 4-3 in 14 innings before defeating the Wildcats 6-4 in eight in game two Saturday afternoon in St. Paul.
In the opening marathon of a game full of spectacular defensive plays and strategic base running on both sides, the Wildcats took the first lead of the day in the bottom of the third when
Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) picked up her first of two hits on the day when she hit a double to bring home
Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) and
Robyn Rohr (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North).
The Wildcats managed to hold their 2-0 lead until the Pipers finally strung together a series of plays in the top of the seventh. First, Katie Koren scored on a sacrifice fly RBI from Jamie Rubbelke before Elaina Hammann scored on a fielders choice after a bunt from Mary-Clare Couillard.
Neither team could come up with a score until the Pipers looked as if they might pull away in the top of the ninth when Rubbelke scored on a series of Wildcat fielding errors.
Not ready to give up, the Wildcats responded in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 3-3 when the Pipers made a few fielding errors allowed
Ashley Sis (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Osseo) to score on a wild pitch.
The game would go on for four more innings without a runner crossing home before the Pipers finally put the pressure on the Wildcats when a series of play led to another run from Rubbelke in the top of the 14th. Casey Anderson – who pitched 21 of the 22 innings on the day for the Pipers and allowed just four earned runs – shut the Wildcats down in the bottom of the inning to end game one.
Game two got off to a much faster start for the Wildcats as
Michaela Bruns (Elk River, Minn./Elk River) hit an RBI single to center field that allowed Rohr to come home for her second of three runs on the day. On the very next at bat, Macziewski brough Bruns home with an RBI double to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead early.
In the bottom of the third, the Wildcats increased their lead when Bruns recorded her second RBI of the day on a bunt single to send Rohr home. Woebke then came home to give the Wildcats a 4-0 lead after a RBI from Sis.
Jenna Dushaw put the Pipers on the board in the top of the fourth as she brought Anderson home on a RBI single through the left side. But that was as close as the Pipers would come to the Wildcat lead, well, that is until the seventh inning.
In the top of the inning, the Pipers slowly brought the heat putting runners on base which allowed Couillard to hit a double and bring Koren and Rubbelke home to make it a one-run game. Then, Couillard crossed the plate on a RBI single from Amanda Orrell to tie the game at 4-4.
The Wildcats couldn't come up with an answer in the seventh, though, and the Piper bats stayed hot in the top of the eight. With two outs, Anderson doubled and then came home on the same play after a series of errors by the Wildcats. The final Piper run scored on a dropped fly which allowed Chelsea Koehn to cross the plate en route to victory.
Bruns led the Wildcats on the day going 4-for-7 with three walks, two RBI and one run scored.
Jessi Tyminski (Champlin, Minn./Totino-Grace) collected three hits on the day including a double as well as a walk. Macziewski, Woebke and Rohr eached finished with a pair of hits on the day, while
Megan Lindenfelser (Nowthen, Minn./Anoka),
Caity DeWitt (Stillwater, Minn./Mahtomedi) and
Donielle Kurvers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) each had a hit.
Seeing work in both games,
Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) pitched nine innings on the mound. She gave up just four hits and no earned runs while striking out eight Piper batters on the day. Lindenfelser pitched in six innings of the opener giving up just two runs on five hits with six strikeouts.
Kailee Berquam (Kenyon, Minn./Kenyon-Wanamingo) recorded her first loss of the season after seven innings of work in the second game where she threw 10 strikeouts
– the most in a single game for the first-year this season. With the losses, the Wildcats fall to 17-9 on the season and 4-6 in the MIAC. They are sheduled to return to action Tuesday for another MIAC doubleheader against Carleton College. Games are slated to begin at 3:30 p.m. in Northfield, Minnesota.
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