NORTHFIELD, MINN. – After two impressive wins over Bethel University on Saturday, the St. Catherine University softball team was hoping to complete its weekend with a sweep of Carleton College. The Wildcats picked up right where they left off on Sunday, as they soundly beat the Knights 13-2 in the opening game of Sunday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) doubleheader. Unfortunately, St. Kate's hit a bit of a snag in game two, as Carleton came back to beat the Wildcats 3-2 with a walk off single.

St. Kate's once again wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first inning, as it secured a 3-0 lead for starting pitcher Kailee Berquam (Kenyon, Minn. / Kenyon-Wanamingo). Anna Hinderaker (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount) led off the game with a single up the middle to give the Wildcats an early base runner. Then, St. Kate's did what it does best as Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) bunted Hinderaker to second to put a runner in scoring position for Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson). While the junior shortstop didn't go yard as she did on Saturday, Macziewski hit a line drive single down the left field line to bring Hinderaker home and give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

St. Kate's tacked on two more runs in the inning, thanks to big time hits from Jenna George (Ellsworth, Wis. / Ellsworth) and Sammie Galvez (Gilbert, Ariz. / Williams Field), to take a 3-0 lead after the first. That lead would have been enough, as Berquam allowed just two runs in six innings of work. However, the Wildcats continued to extend their lead for the junior pitcher, scoring five runs in both the second and third innings.

The second may have been the most exciting inning of the game, as Brittney Frenette (Columbia Heights, Minn. / Irondale) got things started by taking first after getting hit by a pitch.  She then scored St. Kate's first run of the inning on a triple by Hinderaker, who later scored on a suicide squeeze by Woebke to extend the lead to 5-0. After Macziewski walked, Amber Montero (Circle Pines, Minn. / Centennial) and George hit back-to-back doubles, helping St. Kate's end the inning with a 8-0 lead.

Carleton threatened with two base runners in the bottom of the second, but in the end, the Knights were no match for Berquam, who got out of the jam with strikeout and fly out to left field. The Wildcats then went to work and scored five more runs in the top of the third to take a 13-0 lead. Gabby Nordman (Cloquet, Minn. / Denfield), Hinderaker and Montero all hit singles and scored in the inning, while George hit her third home run of the week to highlight the scoring for St. Kate's.

The Knights eventually did manage to score two runs in the bottom of the third. First baseman Sam Kile hit a two-run home run to whittle the Wildcats lead to 13-2. However, Carleton wasn't able to make up the deficit in the fourth or fifth inning, as St. Kate's won game one in five innings 13-2.

Hinderaker was the team's leading hitter in game one, as she went 3-3 at the plate with a triple. She also helped the Wildcats hit for the cycle as a team for the first time in a decade. George was 3-4 on the day with a home run, while Montero went 2-4. Berquam earned her fifth win of the season in game one, as she gave up just two runs on six hits in three innings of work.

Game two seemed to get off to a good start for St. Kate's, as Hinderaker once again scored in the first inning of the game on a Macziewski single. The Wildcats 1-0 lead held to the third inning, when Carleton managed to tie the game 1-1 with an RBI single from Corrie Lucchesi.

St. Kate's took what appeared to be a definitive lead in the top of the fourth, when Galvez scored from second on a RBI single from Ashley Sis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo). Unfortunately, the Knights tied it again in the sixth and won 3-2 with a walk off single in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Berquam took the loss in game two, while Maddie Greer (Oakdale, Minn. / North St. Paul) took a no decision. Macziewski went 2-4 at the plate while Woebke was 1-2.

With the split, St. Kate's overall record improves to 19-9 and the team is now 7-3 in MIAC play. The Wildcats will return to action on Thursday, April 13 at 1 p.m. when they take on the Augsburg College Auggies in Minneapolis, Minnesota.