ST. PAUL, MINN. – It was everything a doubleheader between two top softball teams in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and the country should be. The No. 17 ranked St. Catherine University Wildcats handed the No. 20 University of St. Thomas Tommies their first conference loss of the 2016 season in a 1-0 game one shutout. St. Thomas, though, stole game two from St. Kate's, preventing the sweep with a 5-2 win.

Game one between the Wildcats and Tommies was a pitcher's dual through the first six innings of play. Sophomore ace Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) held the usually potent St. Thomas offense to just six hits and no runs in seven innings of work. Flugstad compiled four strikeouts in her fifth complete game shutout of the season.

Tommie starting pitcher Keirsten Anderson-Glass held St. Kate's offense at bay through most of the first game, but the Wildcats found multiple ways to get on base. St. Kate's managed to get a runner on in the bottom of the first inning when senior Robyn Rohr (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville North) led off with a leadoff single up the middle. However, Rohr was unable to advance past first as Anderson-Glass sent the next three Wildcat batters down in order

St. Kate's threatened again in the third inning when Donielle Kurvers (Monticello, Minn. / Monticello) reached first on an error by the pitcher to start the inning. The next batter Rohr was intentionally walked, putting runners on first and second with nobody out for second baseman Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson). Woebke reached on a fielder's choice while Kurvers advanced to third, but that was as close to home as the Wildcats would come in that inning.

Flugstad herself got out of several tight situations to keep St. Thomas off the board during those first six innings. With a runner on third and one out in the second, Flugstad got Tommie center fielder Megan Bush to pop out to third baseman Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson), then Macziewski completed the double play by throwing out the runner at third.

St. Thomas threatened again in the top of the third, fifth, and sixth innings, but each time they managed to put a runner in scoring position, Flugstad and the Wildcat defense came up with a huge play to hold them at bay. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, St. Kate's broke through the scoreless tie. Macziewski led off the inning with a double to the right field then scored when Flugstad hit a single to right field.

From there, Flugstad went to work, sending the Tommies down in order to seal the 1-0 victory.

Game two started where game one left off. Starting pitcher Megan Lindenfelser (Nowthen, Minn. / Anoka) sent St. Thomas first three batters down in order, and got two quick runs from her offense in the bottom of the inning. Rohr led off the inning with a single and made it all the home on Macziewski's double.

Lindenfelser also picked up an RBI in the bottom of the first to help herself on the mound. Her two-out single up the middle scored Macziewski from second, and the Wildcats took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

Unfortunately, those two runs were the only ones St. Kate's would score in game two. St. Thomas scored five unanswered runs to win game two 5-2.

Rohr led the team in hitting, going 1-2 in game one and 3-4 in game two. She also extended her hitting streak to 21 straight games. Macziewski went 4-7 on the day, with two runs and an RBI.

With the split against the Tommies, the Wildcats overall record improved to 18-3 with a 5-3 mark in MIAC play. They will return to the field on Thursday, when they host Carleton College at St. Kate's field. First pitch of game one is at 3:30 p.m.