ARDEN HILLS, Minn. — St. Catherine University battled through a competitive MIAC doubleheader Sunday at Bethel, dropping a tight opener before rallying for a 5-3 win in game two to earn the split.The Wildcats move to 16-8 overall and 5-1 in conference play.
GAME ONE: Bethel, 5, St. Kate's 4
St. Catherine held a late lead, but Bethel scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to escape with a 5-4 win in the opener.
The Wildcats struck first in the top of the first inning. Mayci Larson walked, Faith Bonse was hit by a pitch, and Ann Swigart singled to load the bases. Larson later scored on a Bethel error to give St. Catherine an early 1-0 lead.
Bethel responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning and held the lead until the third, when Bonse tied the game with a solo home run.
After several scoreless innings, Bethel regained the lead in the sixth on an inside-the-park home run. The Wildcats answered in the seventh, as Lexi Drasher and Larson opened with singles. Bonse drove in the tying run, and Layla Nguyen followed with a sacrifice fly to give St. Catherine a 4-3 advantage.
Bethel responded in its final at-bat, capitalizing on a pair of baserunners and a Wildcats error before delivering the walk-off RBI single.
Bonse led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. Larson and Swigart each added two hits, while Annie Cook also recorded a multi-hit game.
Alexa Carlstrom went the distance in the circle, allowing three earned runs and striking out five.
GAME TWO: St. Kate's 5, Bethel 3
St. Catherine bounced back in game two, using timely hitting and dominant relief pitching to secure a 5-3 win.
Bethel jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third inning, but the Wildcats answered right away to get on the board and begin chipping away.
St. Catherine added runs in the fifth and sixth innings to tie the game at 3-3 before taking control in the seventh. The Wildcats scored twice in the final frame, highlighted by key at-bats from Grace Swigart and timely execution throughout the lineup.
Maren Ceyonwa delivered a pivotal swing with a two-run home run to help fuel the comeback effort.
Taylor Graf shut the door in relief, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings without allowing a hit while striking out three to earn the win. Morgan Wilson started in the circle for the Wildcats.
Offensively, St. Catherine totaled 12 hits, led by multi-hit performances from Swigart, Faith Bonse, Mayci Larson, and Annie Cook. The Wildcats also applied pressure on the bases, swiping four stolen bases.
St. Kate's returns to competition on Wednesday, April 15 as they travel to St. Olaf College for a MIAC doubleheader in Northfield.
