CLERMONT, FLA. – The St. Catherine University softball team continued to impress on its second day in Florida. The Wildcats opened the day with an impressive 6-1 win over Tufts University, thanks to early scoring and big-time hits across the line up. However, St. Kate's was unable to come away with a win in game two, losing a tough 2-1 game to Calvin College to finish the day with a 1-1 split.

The Wildcats were on fire offensively against Tufts, which won the NCAA Championship from 2013-2015. Anna Hinderaker (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount) got things started in the top of the first, when she opened the game with a leadoff double and reached third on a sacrifice bunt by Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson). Amber Montero's (Circle Pines, Minn. / Centennial) grounder to second was enough to score Hinderaker from third, who sped home to give St. Kate's a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

Hinderaker wasn't the only Wildcat to score in the first inning. Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) drew a walk in her first game of the trip and scored St. Kate's second run of the game thanks to another RBI grounder from pitcher Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson).

Flugstad carried her winning momentum from Sunday over to Monday, as she once again was nearly flawless on the mound for the Wildcats. The junior gave up one hit in the bottom of the first, but quickly shut down Tufts hopes of scoring by getting Cassie Ruscz to fly out to left and Raven Fourini to strike out looking. She then let her offense do its thing. After both St. Kate's and Tufts went down 1-2-3 in the second inning, the Wildcats tacked on two more runs in the top of the third and took a 4-0 lead over the 3-time national champions. Macziewski and catcher Sammie Galvez (Gilbert, Ariz. / Williams Field) both scored in the third and six Wildcats reach base in the inning.

Tufts answered by scoring its first run of the game in the bottom of the inning, cutting St. Kate's lead to 4-1. Samantha Sic hit a one-out single and later scored on an RBI single from Annika Han. However, that was the only time the home team managed to cross the plate, as Flugstad kept them guessing for the remaining three innings. In total, the junior ace allowed just one run on four hits with one walk and a strike out en route to earning her seventh win of the season.

Just to be on the safe side, the Wildcats scored two more runs in the fourth, thanks to a two-run home run from Montero. The insurance runs clinched the 6-1 win for St. Kate's, allowing the team to start the day off with a big-time win over a historically great program.

After the big win over Tufts, the Wildcats were hoping the momentum would carry over to the second game against Calvin College. After the first three innings, it seemed like the team would roll to yet another victory. St. Kate's managed to strike first in game two against Calvin, as Hinderaker scored from second base on an RBI single from Montero in the bottom of the third. That lead was plenty for Hannah Johnson (Milaca, Minn. / Milaca), who kept the Knights off the board in the first three innings thanks, in large part, to the outstanding defensive play of Montero. The first year center fielder made two diving catches in center field and an over the shoulder catch at the wall to hold the 1-0 lead for St. Kate's.

Kailee Berquam (Kenyon, Minn. / Kenyon-Wanamingo) relieved Johnson in the top of the fourth, after Calvin had runners on first and second with one out. The junior pitcher got Kristen Newman to hit into a double play, ending the Knights first real threat of the ball game.

The Wildcats were unable to score in the bottom of the inning, and Calvin picked up right where it left off in the top of the fifth. The Knights managed to load the bases with only one out, but Berquam stayed cool and calm on the mound. She managed to get the next two outs but surrendered a run in the process.

With the score knotted 1-1 after five innings, St. Kate's threatened to score again in the bottom of the sixth. Galvez led off the inning with a single, and Colleen Powers put the speedy Gabby Nordman (Cloquet, Minn. / Cloquet) in as a pinch runner. Nordman advanced to second on a bunt from Ashley Sis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo) and took third on a wild pitch by Calvin starter Anna Gernant. However, Nordman was thrown out at home on the very next play, as Flugstad hit into a double-play, halting the Wildcats offensive threat.

Flugstad, who came in to pitch for Berquam in the top of the sixth, looked like she was going to cruise through a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh, as she used her defense to get two quick outs to open the inning. However, Gernant managed to draw a two-out walk and scored from first on an RBI-double from catcher Kaley Frank to give Calvin a 2-1 lead in the seventh.

As the home team, St. Kate's still had a chance to tie and win the game in the bottom of the inning, which the team has already done twice this year. However, the Wildcats were unable to come up with any last inning magic Monday afternoon, as the 7-8-9 hitters went down in order to end the game.

With the 2-1 loss to Calvin, St. Kate's ended the day with one win and one loss and improved its overall record to 9-3. The Wildcats will return to action on Saturday when they face Buena Vista University at 9 a.m. and UW-Oshkosh at 11:30 a.m. EST.