ARDEN HILLS, Minn. -- The St. Catherine softball team closed out the regular season on Tuesday with a doubleheader split of the top-ranked MIAC team, Bethel University. The Wildcats dropped a close game one 4-2 before turning around and posting a 10-2 5 inning defeat of the Royals. St. Kate's secured the No. 4 seed in the MIAC playoffs finishing with a conference record of 14-8. 

GAME ONE | Bethel 4, St. Catherine 2
The Royal struck first in game one adding two runs in the bottom of the first. Senior Lindsay Burr opened the second inning with a home run to cut the Royals lead. Bethel scored two more in the bottom of the fourth including a homer from the first at bat and their final run with two outs off a double to left field. 

Taylor Brunn was 2 for 3 with one run as the lead off hitter. Alex Ehde hit 1 for 3 with one RBI and a double was Burr was also 1 for 3 with a home run and one RBI. 

Annabelle Schutte took the loss in the circle striking out three and giving up two earned runs. 

GAME TWO | St. Catherine 10, Bethel 2 (5 innings)
The Wildcats quickly turned it around in game two holding the Royals to just two runs while scoring ten in five innings. Both teams were scoreless until the top of the third with Alyssa Montero driving in two-runs of a single up the middle and putting Ehde in scoring position. The momentum continued with Montero and Ehde advancing off a wild pitch bringing Ehde in. Montero came in off a double from Burr to close out the inning with a four-run lead. The Royals answered with their only runs of the game adding two cutting the lead in half. 

The top of the fourth mirrored the third with the Royals walking Montero this time to bring in the fifth run while Burr's sacrifice hit brought in Brunn. Ehde and Montero came home off a double from sophomore Kaitlin Boyles and MiKayla Grant was responsible from bringing in Boyles for the Wildcats ninth run. The Wildcats closed out the game in the fifth as first-year Serena Lee came home off a double from Ehde for the win. 

Boyles was 3 for 3 with one run and two RBI and Brunn hit 3 for 4 with two runs. Montero tallied three RBI in the game with two runs while Burr had one double and one RBi. Sophomore Erica Pronschinske earned the win with three strikeouts allowing two runs off of four hits. 

St. Kate's will host the No. 5 seed (Hamline or Saint Mary's) on Thursday for the first round of MIAC Playoffs. The game is scheduled for 4:30 pm at St. Kate's Field.