NORTHFIELD, Minn. -- The St. Catherine University softball team used a late inning surge in game one at St. Olaf College before battling through a high-scoring back-and-forth contest in game two that was suspended due to darkness tied 8-8.Â
Game One | St. Catherine 8, St. Olaf 1
After a quiet start, the Wildcats broke through in the third inning as Helen McKinnon doubled and Mayci Larson followed with an RBI single to open the scoring.
St. Catherine added another run in the sixth before erupting for six runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach. With two outs and the bases loaded, Kylee Kohout delivered the big blow with a three-run double. The Wildcats continued to pile on, capitalizing on timely hitting to seal the 8-1 victory.
Grace Swigart led the offense with a perfect 4-for-4 performance, adding two RBI and two stolen bases. Larson collected three hits, while McKinnon added two hits and scored twice at the top of the lineup.
In the circle, Alexa Carlstrom was dominant, tossing a complete game while allowing just one unearned run on six hits.
Game Two | St. Catherine 8, St. Olaf 8 (top of 8th)
The Wildcats carried their offensive momentum into game two, jumping out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning behind RBI efforts from Maren Ceyonwa and Grace Swigart.
St. Olaf answered back and eventually took the lead, but St. Catherine continued to respond. Lexi Drasher sparked a key rally with a two-run home run, while Alexa Carlstrom added another two-run blast to keep the game within reach.
Ceyonwa paced the Wildcats with three RBI on a 3-for-4 performance, while Larson stayed hot at the plate with three hits and a run scored.
St. Catherine plated runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to erase the deficit and pull even at 8-8, but neither side could break the tie late.
The Wildcats combined efforts in the circle from Morgan Wilson, Taylor Graf, and Hannah Bernier to navigate a patient St. Olaf lineup.
The two teams will return to the top of the 8th inning at a later time that has not yet been determined.Â
St. Kate's is scheduled to host Gustavus Adolphus on Saturday, April 18 with a doubleheader scheduled for 1 pm.Â
