WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- The St. Catherine University softball team closed out their spring break trip in Florida with a pair of losses to regional opponents. St. Kate's fell 12-2 in five innings to the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point before coming up short against No. 20 Millikin University 8-7 in game two. The Wildcats close out their time in Florida going 2-4 to advance their overall record to 6-10.
GAME ONE | UWSP 12, St. Catherine 2 (5 innings)
The Pointers tallied a run in the first inning off a single to left field driving in the runner from second. Things remained scoreless until the Pointers struck again in the top of the fourth adding eleven runs on the Wildcats defense going up 12-0. Kaitlín Boyles put the Wildcats on the board in the bottom frame with a double down the left field line driving in
Taylor Brunn and
Natalee Sigfrids but it wasn't enough to overcome the lead the Pointers built.
Erica Pronschinske started the game for the Wildcats in the circle tallying three strikeouts in 1.2 innings before
Riley Leonhardt finished the game taking the loss while grabbing two strikeouts.
GAME TWO | No. 20 Millikin 8, St. Catherine 7
Millikin grabbed an early 2-0 lead in the opening inning before St. Kate's turned it around in the top of the fifth going up 4-2 with junior
Lynae Doty getting things started stealing a run and driving in Kylie Kohout to tie the game. Senior
Julia Azure tallied an RBI driving in
Helen McKinnon to take the lead while
Sarah Posey scored the fourth run. The Big Blue answered back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth but the Wildcats returned the call with two more in the top of the sixth knotting it up once again. The Wildcats grabbed a one run lead in the top of the seventh but the home team had the advantage adding two final runs to win the game.
Doty was 2 for 4 with 2 runs while Azure went 2 for 4 with one RBI. Pronschinske started the game again in the circle for the purple and gold for 4.2 innings while Leonhardt closed it out giving up the final two runs and tallying two strikeouts facing just eleven batters.
The Wildcats are scheduled to travel to Winona, Minnesota on April 1 to face Saint Mary's University for their MIAC opener.
