NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Macalester College softball team started its season on Saturday at St. Olaf, losing to the Oles, 10-2 and 7-6 in a MIAC doubleheader at Mable Shirley Field. The games marked the Scots' first competition since March 8, 2020, a total of 391 days.

In the first game, Macalester scored twice in the top of the first inning, with junior Mackenzie Clarke (Redwood City, Calif./Sequoia) and sophomore Regan Brodine (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) coming home on a wild pitch. St. Olaf (4-2, 2-0 MIAC) answered with four runs in the bottom of the first and six runs over the following five innings while keeping the Scots off the scoreboard the rest of the way.

Brodine went 2-for-2 with a run, a walk and a stolen base. Senior Kate Lawhead (Battle Ground, Wash./Prairie) and junior Emily Bergin (Houston, Texas/St. Thomas Episcopal School) also had hits in the game. The Oles scored seven unearned runs on six Macalester errors.

The second game started the same for Macalester, with sophomore Jessica Katzin (Chicago, Ill./Jones College Prep) hitting a double that plated Clarke and Lawhead in the top of the first. Again the Oles answered in the bottom of the first with a three-run homer by Hannah Matthies to lead 3-2. First year Mandy Morrical (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon) drove in first year Elsa Church (St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood) with a grounder to tie the score in the top of the second.

The game remained knotted at 3-3 until the top of the sixth inning. With one out and two runners on base, Morrical blasted a home run over the left field fence, her first as a collegian, to put the Scots on top, 6-3. St. Olaf loaded the bases with two out in the bottom of the sixth and received two-run doubles from Kaleigh Santmyer and Ally Bode to take a 7-6 edge. In the top of the seventh, Lawhead led off with a single and was replaced with pinch runner and senior Olive Tambou (San Francisco, Calif./Lowell), who eventually stole second. With the tying runner on second and two out, St. Olaf pitcher Julie Graf struck out the final batter to end the game.

Church, Katzin and Lawhead each had two hits in Game 2, with Morrical driving in four runs. Sophomore pitcher Joia Simonson (Pardeeville, Wis./Portage) went the distance for the Scots, allowing seven runs on 10 hits while striking out three in seven innings of work.

Macalester hosts Bethel in the home opener on Wednesday, April 7. The first pitch is at 4:30 p.m. at the Macalester Softball Complex.