NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- The St. Catherine University softball team picked up a series split with the St. Olaf College Oles Saturday taking game one 10-4 before falling in the second game 8-7. The day advances St. Kate's to 11-7 in conference play with a 17-17 overall record.
GAME ONE | St. Catherine 10, St. Olaf 4
St. Kate's was off to a quick start going up 6-0 in the opening frame as
Helen McKinnon drove in the first run with
Sarah Posey scoring followed up
Jasmine Ziegler's third home run of the season bringing in
Julia Azure and McKinnon. It didn't slow down there as
Kylee Kohout hit a double to center field to bring in
Lynae Doty and came home off a single from Kaitlín Boyles. The contest remained scoreless until the top of the sixth with Posey bringing in
Elizabeth Van Lith who pinch ran for Boyles taking a 7-0 lead. The Oles added their first run of the day in the bottom of the sixth but the Wildcats went on to add three runs with Kohout's second double of the contest bringing in Doty, Ziegler, and Azure. St. Olaf did nearly the same move in their final at bat adding three runs off a double to right center on a full count.
McKinnon was 3 for 4 with one run and one RBI while Ziegler hit 2 for 2 with three RBI and two . Kohout also had a day hitting 2 for 4 with four RBI and one run.
Erica Pronschinske earned the win in the circle striking out two of the 31 batters faced.
GAME TWO | St. Olaf 8, St. Catherine 7
St. Kate's got behind early in game two down 3-0 headed into the third adding one run in the third before taking the lead with a six run inning in the top of the fourth. McKinnon hit her first career home run with bases loaded for a grand slam to bring in
Taylor Brunn, Posey and
Sam Aronson to give the Wildcats a 7-3 lead. The Oles added two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning followed by getting a home run in the sixth to trail by one going into the final inning. St. Olaf went on to claim the win tying it up off a double to left center and scoring off a wild pitch taking a 8-7 lead.
Riley Leonhardt started the game in the circle with four strikeouts before Pronschinske finished out the contest striking out one and taking the loss.
Next up for the Wildcats is a trip to College of Saint Benedict Thursday, May 4 for a conference doubleheader before returning home Saturday, May 6 to host Hamline University.
