WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- The St. Catherine University softball team returned to competition on Sunday facing the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Tufts University on their annual spring break trip. The Wildcats fell in game one to UW-Eau Claire 6-1 followed by a 7-1 loss to Tufts. St. Kate's is now 4-6 on the season with eight games remaining to play in Florida. 

GAME ONE | UW-Eau Claire 6, St. Catherine 1
The Blugolds struck first in the top of the second inning hitting a home run with one on base to take a two run lead. The Wildcats answered back in the bottom frame with a single up the middle from Tori Vennemann to drive in Alyssa Montero and cut the lead in half. UWEC repeated with a second home run with one on base to go up 4-1 in the third and tallied a fifth run in the top of the fourth inning. They went on to add their third home run of the contest and final run in the top of the seventh for the 6-1 final. 

Junior Erica Pronschinske claimed the loss in the circle pitching three innings giving up four runs and recording four strikeouts. Rookie Riley Leonhardt finished the final four innings with four strikeouts facing 17 batters. 

GAME TWO | Tufts 7, St. Catherine 1
Tufts drove in three runs off a homer in the bottom of the third inning holding off St. Kate's defensively until the top of the sixth inning with Sam Aronson crossing home plate off a single from Natalee Sigfrids. The  Jumbos answered back in the bottom of the inning scoring four runs including their second home run of the game for the final 7-1 win. 

Montero started the game in the circle for St. Kate's recording two strikeouts in three innings with Pronschinske closing out adding one more strikeout on the day. 

St. Kate's returns to play on Monday with games against the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Washington and Jefferson College in Clermont, Florida.