ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The St. Catherine University softball team split wins with St. Olaf College on Saturday afternoon, claiming game one 14-12 before falling in game two 11-5. St. Kate's is now 8-12 with a MIAC record of 1-3.
GAME ONE | St. Catherine 14, St. Olaf 12
St. Olaf opened with a bang, scoring three runs in the top of the first and adding six more in the second, capitalizing on timely hitting and St. Kate's errors to take a 9–4 lead. The Oles tacked on three more in the fifth to extend their lead to 12–7.
But St. Kate's never backed down.The Wildcats clawed their way back with four runs in the bottom of the fifth, fueled by a clutch two-run double from Grace Swigart and an RBI single from Helen McKinnon. In the sixth, St. Kate's broke through, scoring three more—two coming unearned—to take their first lead of the game, 14–12. McKinnon led the offense with a triple, double, single, walk, and 4 RBIs. G. Swigart also came up big with 3 RBIs and two runs scored.
First-year Alexa Carlstrom shined in the circle pitching three innings allowing just one hit and zero runs while striking out three to earn the win.
GAME TWO | St. Olaf 11, St. Catherine 5
After two scoreless innings, the Oles broke through in the third with a 3-run rally. St. Kate's answered with two in the bottom half, cutting the lead to 3–2.
In the fifth, the Wildcats surged ahead with a 3-run frame, including RBI hits from Annie Cook, Lucy Mansell, and Ann Swigart, making it 5–4. But St. Olaf responded in a big way in the sixth, plating five runs behind a clutch 2-RBI single to retake the lead, 9–5.The Oles added two more insurance runs in the seventh, capitalizing on a defensive miscue and another RBI double .
Junior Helen McKinnon reached the 100-career hits milestone in game two against the Oles as one of her three hits, two runs and five RBI. Her 100th career hit was a triple that drove in two RBI in the bottom of the first.
St. Kate's will host non-conference foe, Wisconsin-Stout on Sunday at St. Kate's Field with the first pitch scheduled for 12 pm.
