ST. PAUL, Minn. - The St. Catherine University Wildcat softball team opened the home Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) season with a scheduled doubleheader with visiting Hamline University. The conference foes played ten innings in game one with the Wildcats topping the Pipers 5-4. With the threat of darkness approaching, the St. Kate's and Hamline began the second game before halting it at 4-4 after the bottom of the 4th inning. The game will be finished at a date and time yet to be determined at St. Kate's Field.
Game One | St. Catherine 5, Hamline 4 (10 innings)
The Wildcats had 36 appearances at the plate in the 5-4 win over the Pipers for their first conference win of the season. First-year shortstop
Alex Ehde went 3 for 4 in her first appearance in front of the home crowd. The rookie scored the first run of the game after at the bottom of the first inning with sophomore
Alyssa Wicks hitting a single to drive Ehde in.
Ehde's pop-up to center field was dropped by the Piper to bring in sophomore
Mikayla Grant and senior
Trish Sherman to go up 3-0 in the bottom of the 4th inning.
Hamline hit back to back home run's in the top of the 5th inning to tie the game at 3-3.
Playing the international tiebreaker in the tenth after playing three additional scoreless innings, Hamline took the 4-3 lead in the top of the inning. As the home team, St. Catherine had one more chance at the plate with Ehde placed on second and senior
Jenna George at-bat. George hit a double for the RBI bringing Ehde in. Sophomore
Emily Saurer was brought in as the pinch runner for George with Sherman at the plate after the Pipers intentionally walked senior
Anna Hinderaker and first-year
Lindsay Burr. Sherman's single was the game-winning hit to bring Saurer in and the 5-4 win.
Game two was played through the top of the 4th inning with St. Kate's at the plate in the bottom of the inning. The game was halted due to darkness with the score 4-4.
The Wildcats (11-7, 1-1 MIAC) will host St. Olaf College (14-6, 4-0 MIAC) at home on Thursday, April 4 at 3:30/5:30 p.m.