MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – The St. Catherine University softball team has overcome quite a bit of adversity this 2018 spring season. The Wildcats have yet to play a game at home this season, instead traveling to Augsburg University to play most of their games in a dome. Thursday evening, St. Kate's overcame one of its biggest challenges of the season as it upended the Auggies on their own turf, earning a huge Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) sweep with 5-1 and 12-5 victories.
 
Game one featured a pitching duel between two aces, as senior Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) faced off against Augsburg's Samantha Anderson for the MIAC win. Fortunately, it was Flugstad who came out on top 5-1, but not before the Auggies took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second.  Augsburg's Katie Parker scored on an RBI double by Jacqueline Nichols to put the Auggies ahead 1-0. However, the Wildcats had the perfect answer in the bottom of the inning. Sammie Galvez (Gilbert, Ariz. / Williams Field) and Flugstad hit back-to-back one-out singles, then later scored on a two-out double by Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) to put St. Kate's back on top 2-1.
 
The Wildcats weren't done scoring after Woebke's double though. Trish Sherman (Roseville, Minn. / Roseville) followed with another double, bringing the senior second baseman around from second to extend St. Kate's lead to 3-1.
 
That 3-1 lead was all Flugstad needed, as she kept Augsburg's hot bats off the board for the remaining four innings. However, the Wildcats tacked on two insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth, as Amber Montero (Circle Pines, Minn. / Centennial) and Sherman scored on an RBI double from Anna Hinderaker (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount) to extend St. Kate's lead to 5-1. That lead would hold until the top of the seventh, when the Auggies decided to make things interesting for Wildcat fans. Having held Augsburg at bay for six full innings, head coach Colleen Powers decided to put senior pitcher Kailee Berquam (Kenyon, Minn. / Kenyon-Wanamingo) in for Flugstad to face the final batters. However, Berquam hit the Auggies five hitter with a pitch, then walked two of the next three hitters to load the bases with just one out.
 
With no other choice, Powers put in Flugstad, who closed out the game with two of her season high eight strikeouts to clinch the 5-1 win for St. Kate's. The win was Flugstad's sixth of the season and her third in MIAC play.

The Wildcats got off to a hot start in game two, as they opened with a quick 2-0 lead. Hinderaker and Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) opened St. Kate's offensive inning with back-to-back singles, including a base hit bunt from Macziewski, to put runners on first and second with zero outs. It was then Galvez who once again delivered the big bases clearing double to give her team an early, comfortable lead.
 
Of course, the Wildcats weren't done scoring after the first inning. St. Kate's scored five runs in the third and fourth innings to take a 12-0 lead with just three outs separating them from an early bedtime. However, Augsburg scored five runs of their own off first year Kathryn Proper (St. Paul, Minn. / Como Park) to cut the lead to 12-5. Still, Proper managed to hang on and earn her third MIAC win of the season thanks to the 12-5 victory.
 
Galvez went 3-4 with four RBI in the second game, while Macziewski was 2-3 with three runs.
 
Thanks to the MIAC sweep, the Wildcats overall record improves to 13-10 and they are now 6-2 in MIAC play. St. Kate's will return to the field on Saturday, April 21 when it hosts Concordia College at 1 and 3 p.m. at the University of St. Thomas.