ST. PAUL, MINN. – The St. Catherine University softball team is no stranger to making history. The Wildcats have set multiple team records in each of the last three seasons, so making history isn't exactly anything new. However, three seniors etched their names in St. Kate's softball lore en route to the team's 2-0 and 5-2 sweep of Concordia College in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play.
 
Senior ace Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) certainly had her grove on in the first game of the afternoon, as she earned her first shutout of the season with a 2-0 win over the Cobbers. Flugstad was completely dominant, holding Concordia to just four dinky hits and no runs in seven innings of work. More impressively, the senior tallied six strikeouts in the victory and made a little history along the way. After the Cobbers put together a small rally in the second inning, Flugstad shut down any hopes the visitors may have had in the third, as she sent the Concordia batters down in order, tallying her fourth strikeout of the game to end the inning. It turned out, that strikeout was No. 500 in Flugstad's career, making her the first pitcher in program history to reach the milestone.
 
Flugstad was also helped by her offense, as the Wildcats scored two quick runs in the bottom of the first to give the senior ace a 2-0 lead. Anna Hinderaker (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount) opened the inning with a leadoff triple to left center, putting a runner on third with no outs to start the game. The junior then scored on an infield single from senior shortstop Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) to give St. Kate's the early 1-0 lead.
 
The Wildcats scored their second run of the ball game later in the inning, this time with two outs. After senior Ashley Sis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo) advanced to second on a pass ball, the dangerous Jenna George (Ellsworth, Wis. / Ellsworth) knocked her in with a big RBI single to center field, putting St. Kate's ahead 2-0.
 
George was stranded at first, but the two runs were all Flugstad and the Wildcat defense needed en route to the 2-0 victory. Minus the second inning, in which Concordia put runners on first and second with no outs, the Cobbers scoring chances were few and far between in game one. In the meantime, St. Kate's offense tried to extend its lead with base runners in the third, fifth and sixth innings. However, the Wildcats were never able to score again in the remaining six innings, resulting in the 2-0 advantage at the start of the seventh.
 
Concordia tried to make things interesting, as the Cobbers put runners on first and second with one out thanks to two infield hits. However, Flugstad remained calm and pitched her way out of the jam with two outs to her middle infielders, resulting in the 2-0 opening game victory.
 
Flugstad, who earned her fourth MIAC and first shutout win of the season, gave up just four hits, only one of which reached the outfield, in seven innings of work, while George was 1-1 with two walks at the plate and Hinderaker was 1-2 with a run.
 
Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as smoothly for St. Kate's to start game two. Concordia jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, not exactly an ideal start for the Wildcats and first year pitcher Kathryn Proper (St. Paul, Minn. / Como Park). Cobber left fielder Kayla Nack opened the game with an infield single to second base and designated player Madi Veith followed it up with a single to center field, to put runners on first and second with no outs. Nack scored on a fielder's choice later in the inning and Veith scored on a sacrifice fly to give Concordia the early 2-0 lead.
 
St. Kate's had a golden opportunity to answer with a few runs of its own in the bottom of the inning, as Hinderaker and Macziewski both reached base to put runners on first and second with no outs. However, the Wildcat offense took a while to get going, as Cobber starter Mary Gavin baffled St. Kate's top hitters in the first inning. The Wildcats did manage to break through in the second inning, as pinch runner Gabby Nordman (Cloquet, Minn. / Denfield) scored on a RBI single from Claire Woebke (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) to cut the lead to 2-1.
 
St. Kate's finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth, as the team scored four runs on two hits and a Concordia error to take the definitive 5-2 lead. Woebke started the rally with a one out walk then reached second on a bunt single by Emily Saurer (Victoria, Minn. / Chanhassen), putting runners on first and second with one out. The two later scored on an RBI double by Hinderaker, and the junior left fielder scored on Macziewski's RBI single, which was historic in its own right. Thanks to the RBI single, Macziewski broke the school record for career at bats and is one RBI short of the 100 mark.
 
Of course, the Cobbers made things interesting in the top of the fifth, as they managed to load the bases with no outs. After giving up a leadoff hit to open the inning, head coach Colleen Powers opted to replace Proper with senior pitcher Kailee Berquam (Kenyon, Minn. / Kenyon-Wanamingo). However, things were much more dramatic than anyone was hoping, as Berquam plunked the first batter and gave up a bunt single to load the bases with no outs.
 
The senior pitcher, though, was poised and calm, as she used her veteran experience to send Concordia's top three batters down in order and preserve St. Kate's 5-2 lead. After getting Nack to fly out to Sis, Berquam struck out Veith and got three-hitter Sydney Roberts to fly out to Amber Montero (Circle Pines, Minn. / Centennial) to end the inning.
 
From there, it was smooth sailing for the Wildcats and Berquam, who sent the Cobber batters down in order through the next two innings to clinch the 5-2 game two win and MIAC sweep. Proper earned the victory in the record books, as she gave up two runs on three hits in four innings of work.
 
Saurer was the team's top hitter in game two, as she went 2-3 at the plate with a run and stolen base. Hinderaker and Macziewski both went 1-3, and Sis broke the school record in career doubles (36) with her leadoff double in the third inning.
 
With the victories, St. Kate's overall record improved to 15-10, and the team is now 8-2 in MIAC play. The Wildcats will return to the field on Sunday, April 22 when they take on Saint Mary's University at 1 and 3 p.m. in Winona, Minnesota.