DECORAH, IOWA – It wasn't easy, but the St. Catherine University softball team is back in the NCAA Regional Championship for the second straight season. The Wildcats defeated the College of St. Scholastica 7-0 in the first elimination game before taking care of business in a rematch against the University of Chicago, holding off the Maroons to win 5-2 and advance to Sunday's Championship against Luther College.

To everyone else, it was elimination Saturday, as two teams would be removed from the playoffs with two loses. To St. Kate's, though, it was just another doubleheader, one that could technically be called a sweep. The Wildcats took care of business the opener against St. Scholastica, as they scored two quick runs in the first to take a 2-0 lead over the Saints. After drawing walks in the first inning. Anna Hinderaker (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount) and Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) both scored on an RBI double from Amber Montero (Circle Pines, Minn. / Centennial) to give St. Kate's its first lead of the ball game.

The 2-0 lead would have been enough for junior ace Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson), who held St. Scholastica to just four hits in five innings of work. However, the Wildcats extended the lead to 3-0 in the top of the third, once again with an RBI double from Montero, and tacked on two more runs in the fourth thanks to a triple from Hinderaker and a sacrifice squeeze by Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) to give St. Kate's a 5-0 lead.

Woebke made it 6-0 in the sixth with a home run over the left field fence, and Head Coach Colleen Powers sent Maddie Greer (Oakdale, Minn. / North St. Paul) to the mound to close out the game. Greer preserved the shut out by allowing just one hit in the final two innings of work, allowing the Wildcats to advance to the next game with a 7-0 win.

St. Kate's picked up right where it left on in its rematch against Chicago. As the visiting team, the Wildcats once again scored two quick runs in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. Again, Hinderaker and Macziewski drew walks to open the game, putting runners on first and third with just one out. Then, during Jenna George's at bat, Hinderaker and Macziewski ran a double steal, allowing Hidneraker to score from third to give St. Kate's a 1-0 lead.

Of course, Montero made it 2-0 as she recorded yet another RBI hit, this time a single up the middle, to extend the Wildcats lead to 2-0. Flugstad held the Maroon batters at bay, putting a stop to any offense threat they put together, to give her team a chance to extend the lead at the plate. Ashley Sis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo) scored a run for St. Kate's in the second inning on a RBI single from Hinderaker to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead over Chicago.

St. Kate's had another big inning in the top of the fifth, as the team scored two runs on hits from Hinderaker, George and Montero to extend the lead to 5-0. However, the Maroon weren't ready to go down without a fight, as they strung together a two run inning in the bottom of the seventh to make things interesting for the Wildcats. Chicago took advantage of St. Kate's mistakes, cutting the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the final inning. However, Flugstad got lead off hitter Anna Woolery to strike out on a change up, ending the game and securing the Wildcats spot in the NCAA Regional Championship with a 5-2 win.

With the win, St. Kate's staves off elimination and improves its overall record to 34-12. The Wildcats will take on the Luther College Norse at 12 p.m. on Sunday in Decorah, Iowa. St. Kate's must win two games on Sunday to advance to the Super Regional May 20-21 at a yet to be determined site.