MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – The St. Catherine University softball team has proved time and time again this season that it is one of the hardest teams to beat in the nation. The Wildcats already have three come-from-behind victories on its resume and almost put together the comeback of the season Thursday evening in game two of their doubleheader against Augsburg College. After winning the opener 3-1, St. Kate's found itself down 4-1 in the top of the seventh. Although the Wildcats loaded the bases and scored two, they were unable to come up with the game tying or game winning run, leading to a 4-3 loss and their second straight split in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play.

The doubleheader started in the way St. Kate's wanted, as the team used small ball and the arm of ace Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) to win the opener 3-1. As they had done in the previous four games, the Wildcats got on the board in the top of the first, as Anna Hinderaker (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount) scored the opening run of the game on a double by Amber Montero (Circle Pines, Minn. / Centennial) to give St. Kate's a 1-0 lead. The Wildcats tacked on another run in the second, when Gabby Nordman (Cloquet, Minn. / Denfield) scored on an RBI single from Ashley Sis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo) to extend the Wildcats lead to 2-0 after two innings.
Auggie starter Samantha Anderson managed to hold St. Kate's offense at bay over the next three innings, until Jenna George (Ellsworth, Wis. / Ellsworth) came up to hit in the top of the fifth. The sophomore third baseman hit her team-leading seventh home run of the season, allowing the Wildcats to take a 3-0 lead with just two innings left to play.

Of course, George's home run wasn't necessary in the end, as Flugstad was completely dominant on the mount. The junior ace didn't surrender a run until the bottom of the sixth inning, as Anesia King managed to get a base hit bunt down the first base line. The Auggies also scored their only run of the game, as Hollywood Hermanson scored on a St. Kate's error to whittle the lead down to 3-1. Hermanson was the only Augsburg batter to cross home plate after that, as Flugstad sent the Auggies three, four and five batters down in order to secure the 3-1 win, which is her 14^th win of the season.

Unfortunately, things did not go the Wildcats way in game two. Unlike the first game, it was Augsburg that managed to strike first and take a 1-0 lead after one inning. However, St. Kate's was quick to answer with a run of its own in the second. Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) singled to open the inning and eventually scored from second on yet another RBI single from Sis to tie the game 1-1.

Those were the only two runs scored until the bottom of the fifth, when the Auggies managed to score three runs on first year pitcher Maddie Greer (Oakdale, Minn. / North St. Paul). King managed to draw a leadoff walk, which sparked Augsburg's offensive surge, allowing the home team to take a 4-1 lead. However, the Wildcats made their finally six outs count, as they put together rallies in both the sixth and seventh innings to try and at least tie the Auggie lead.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, though, it looked like it was over for St. Kate's. Sis led off the inning with a single and managed to get to second base on a fielder's choice by Brittney Frenette (Columbia Heights, Minn. / Irondale). There were two outs, though, by the time Sis reached second base, but the Wildcats made that final out count, as Hinderaker and Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) both drew two-out walks to keep the rally alive. Montero then put together a clutch at bat, lacing an RBI single to right field to score Sis and Hinderaker to cut Augsburg lead to 4-3.

With the momentum suddenly in its direction, St. Kate's sent its most dangerous batter to the plate, Jenna George. After a long at bat, George eventually got a pitch she liked and sent it deep to left field. While it looked like it was going out, the Auggies left fielder was there to make the play, ending the Wildcats rally and forcing St. Kate's to settle for a 4-3 loss in game two.

Greer suffered her third loss of the season in the game, as she gave up three runs on six hits in four innings of work. Sis led the team at the plate in both the first and second game, as she went a combined 3-6 with two RBI singles and a run.

With the split, St. Kate's record improves to 20-10 and the team is now 8-4 in MIAC play. The Wildcats will return to action at 1 p.m. on Saturday, when they host the Hamline University Pipers in St. Paul, Minnesota.