MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – The weather outside was certainly frightful, but inside the Augsburg Dome was quite delightful for the St. Catherine University softball team. The Wildcats earned their first Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) sweep of the season despite the less-than-stellar weather occurring outside the dome. Thanks to a rip roaring performance both offensively and defensively, St. Kate's defeated Macalester College 9-1 in game one and 8-0 in game two.
 
The Wildcats found themselves up early in the opening game of the evening, as they took a 5-0 lead in the first inning without recording a single hit. After center fielder Amber Montero (Circle Pines, Minn. / Centennial) was plunked during her initial at bat, the next four consecutive St. Kate's batters were issued walks, allowing both Montero and Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) to score early runs. Jenna George (Ellsworth, Wis. / Ellsworth) was also walked in to home, when Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) battled for a bases loaded walk, and Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) scored thanks to a Scot error to put the Wildcats ahead 5-0.
 
The 5-0 lead held through the first two innings, as Flugstad was killing it on the mound for St. Kate's. The senior allowed just one Macalester runner to reach base in the initial two innings, and that was on a walk, meaning a no hitter was well within reach. However, the Scots designated player Sophie Migcaz led off the inning with a double down the right field line and later scored on an Audrey Meade single to cut the Wildcats lead to 5-1.
 
That was the only run Flugstad would surrender, though, in her five innings of work, while her offense got to work putting more runs on the board. St. Kate's extended its lead to 8-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, thanks, once again, to timely hitting by the Wildcats. Ashley Sis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo), George, and Flugstad all reached to load the bases with no outs before Woebke and Sammie Galvez (Gilbert, Ariz. / Williams Field) hit back-to-back singles to put St. Kate's ahead 8-1.
 
The Wildcats needed just one run in the bottom of the fifth to end the game early. After Flugstad sent the Scot batters down in order, she helped herself out by hitting the game winning RBI in the bottom of the inning after Macziewski opened the inning with a line drive double to right-center field.
 
After the 9-1 victory, St. Kate's continued its scoring barrage against Macalester, as it cruised to another eight run victory, this time by a score of 8-0. The Wildcats scored four quick runs in the first, thanks to a single from Anna Hinderaker (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount) and a bases clearing double by George. Already up 3-0, the Wildcats tacked on another run when Galvez hit George in from third to put the team ahead 4-0.
 
That lead proved to be all the pitching tandem of Kathryn Proper (St. Paul, Minn. / Como Park) and Kailee Berquam (Kenyon, Minn. / Kenyon-Wanamingo) would need, as they shut down the Scot batters for six complete innings. However, the Wildcats felt like finishing things early, as a Sis grand slam helped four runs cross the plate and clinched the 8-0 victory for St. Kate's.
 
Both Flugstad and Proper earned victories Saturday evening, the first MIAC win of Proper's career with the Wildcats. The team also improved its overall record to 11-10 and it is now 4-2 in conference play.
 
St. Kate's will return to action on Sunday, April 15, when it takes on Augsburg University at 12 and 2 p.m. at the Augsburg dome.