ST. PAUL, MINN. – Few moments were more pressure packed for the St. Catherine University softball team than Tuesday afternoon. With at least one win over the Hamline University Pipers, the Wildcats would qualify for the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) playoffs. Lose, and St. Kate's would be on the outside looking in.
Fortunately, the Wildcats rose to the occasion Tuesday afternoon, as they swept the Pipers for the first time since 2012 to qualify for the MIAC postseason tournament for the second straight year.

Things got off to a good start for St. Kate's in the first game, as the team took an early 1-0 lead over Hamline. Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) drew a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the first, scoring teammate Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) from third to give the Wildcats the 1-0 lead.
The 1-0 lead held until the top of the third, as Flugstad managed to pitch out of every jam she found herself in. Unfortunately, the junior ace wasn't so lucky in the third, as an error in the field resulted in two unearned runs for Hamline, allowing the Pipers to take a 2-1 lead.

However, St. Kate's wasn't done scoring, as the team scored five runs in the bottom of the inning to regain a 6-2 lead. Amber Montero (Circle Pines, Minn. / Centennial) scored the Wildcats first run of the inning on an RBI single by Sammie Galvez (Gilbert, Ariz. / Williams Field) and Galvez later scored on a RBI single by Anna Hinderaker (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount). However, Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) proved to be the hero of the inning, as her double to right center scored three runs for St. Kate's to extend the lead to 6-2.

Hamline cut the lead to 6-3 with a solo home run in the top of the fourth, but the Wildcats scored three more runs in the bottom of the same inning to extend their lead to 9-3. Montero, Jenna George (Ellsworth, Wis. / Ellsworth) and Flugstad all scored and recorded a hit in the inning, while Ashley Sis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo) provided the RBI double that fueled the three-run inning.

Even if St. Kate's hadn't scored three extra runs in the bottom of the fourth, Flugstad was gold on the mound, allowing just two Pipers to reach base in the final three innings of play to secure her school-record 20^th win of the season. Overall, Flugstad gave up just three runs on six hits, and only one of those runs was actually earned, to help the Wildcats win game one 9-3.

Unfortunately, game two did not get off to the start St. Kate's was hoping for, as the Pipers took an early 1-0 lead thanks to two hits and a sacrifice fly. Just like in the first game, though, the Wildcats had an answer in the bottom of the inning. Hinderaker got the inning started with a leadoff double then advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Woebke. The sophomore left fielder didn't stay on third very long, as Macziewski ripped a double down the right field line to score Hinderaker and tie game 1-1.

Macziewski later scored on an RBI single from George, giving St. Kate's its first lead of the game at 2-1. Unfortunately, errors by the Wildcat defense proved costly in the top of the second, as Hamline was able to score two unearned runs to retake the 3-2 lead.

Neither team managed to score in the third, although both threatened by getting at least one runner to base. The Pipers, though, did put another run across the board in the fourth, extending their lead over the Wildcats to 4-2. Unlike the first, St. Kate's didn't have an answer in the bottom of the fourth, as the batters went down in order.

However, the Wildcats came through in the clutch in the bottom of the fifth, as they scored four runs on four hits to retake a 6-4 lead. After giving up a run in the sixth, St. Kate's extended the lead to 8-5, which seemed like it would hold four batters into the top of the seventh. After giving up a leadoff walk, Kailee Berquam (Kenyon, Minn. / Kenyon-Wanamingo) got the Pipers seven and nine batters to fly out to the defense, leaving runners on first and second with two outs. Unfortunately, the junior pitcher left a pitch hanging for Chelsea Koehn, who tied the game with a three-run home run over the center field fence.

St. Kate's threatened to score the walkoff run in the bottom of the seventh, as Galvez drew a leadoff walk and reached second on a sacrifice bunt by Brittney Frenette (Columbia Heights, Minn. / Irondale). Unfortunately, Galvez was stranded at third, and the Wildcats were forced to play in their first extra innings game of the MIAC season.

Hannah Johnson (Milaca, Minn. / Milaca) kept Hamline off the board in the eighth, giving her three-four-and five hitters a chance to give St. Kate's the lead for good. Macziewski, though, lined out to the left fielder to open the inning, and Montero was out after first on a diving play by the second baseman. The Pipers, though, needed to face the dangerous George for the final out of the inning. After three consecutive balls, it looked like Hamline pitcher Casey Anderson was going to unintentionally intentionally walk the third basemen to face Flugstad for the final out of the inning. However, with a 3-0 count, Anderson threw a strike right down the middle, and George did what she does best: sent it over the left field fence, giving St. Kate's the 9-8 win in dramatic fashion.

George went 2-3 at the plate in game two with two RBI and tied the school record for RBI in a single season, while Macziewski was 4-5 with two RBIs as well. Johnson picked up her third win of the season after coming in to relieve Berquam in the seventh.

Thanks to the game two victory, the Wildcats finish the regular season with a 28-11 record and a 17-5 mark in MIAC play. With the sweep, St. Kate's also clinched the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and finished the season in second place for the first time in program history. The Wildcats will face Hamline at 5 p.m. on Friday at the University of St. Thomas. More information will be available later in the week.