ROCHESTER, Minn. – The Macalester College softball team came back to defeat Luther College, 5-3 and earn a split of a pair of non-conference games Saturday afternoon at the Rochester Dome. The Scots, who also lost to Grinnell College, 7-1, are now 4-2 on the season.

Macalester struck first in the game against Grinnell, scoring in the top of the first inning on a single by junior Mandy Morrical (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon) that plated sophomore Sophie Futchko (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) from second base for a 1-0 lead. Grinnell answered with four runs in the bottom of the first, two more in the second and another in the fourth to lead 7-1. The Scots managed just four hits in the game and had one hit after the second inning. Morrical, junior Emily Pedersen (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson), senior Emily Bergin (Houston, Texas/St. Thomas Episcopal School) and sophomore Renee Nicholson (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) had the hits. Junior Elsa Church (St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood) pitched two scoreless innings of relief.

Against Luther, the Scots trailed 3-0 after two innings before getting on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third, when Futchko came home on an error. Then in the bottom of the fifth, Morrical doubled with Futchko on first, putting runners at second and third with one out. Senior Regan Brodine (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) followed with a two-run single to tie the score at 3-3, then Pedersen belted a two-run home run to put Macalester on top, 5-3. Sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Pistorius (Parker, Colo./Legend) did the rest, holding Luther to no runs and just three hits over the final five innings to preserve the win.

Pistorius went the distance, allowing three runs on six hits while walking five and fanning two in seven innings. Morrical paced the offense with two hits to help Macalester avenge an 11-3 loss to the Norse last week.

The Scots head to Florida for 10 games at THE Spring Games, beginning on Mar. 12.