ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College softball team lost a pair of close games to St. Catherine University, 6-4 and 1-0 in a MIAC doubleheader Tuesday night at the Macalester Softball Complex. The Scots fall to 11-11 overall and 3-3 in the conference, while the Wildcats improve to 13-11, 7-1 MIAC.

In the first game, Macalester struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Sophomore Sophie Futchko (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) led off with a walk, advanced to second on a bunt by sophomore Renee Nicholson (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) and later scored on a single by senior Emily Bergin (Houston, Texas/St. Thomas Episcopal School). St. Kate's responded with three runs in the top of the second and three more in the fourth to lead 6-1. In the bottom of the fifth, Futchko delivered a two-run single to plate first year Fiona Candland (San Francisco, Calif./Lowell) and sophomore Mandy Morrical (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon) to make the score 6-3. Then in the bottom of the seventh, junior Elsa Church (St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood) led off with a single and moved to third on the next play after the second baseman was ruled off the bag on an apparent force out. Morrical followed with a single to left that brought home Church to make the score 6-4. The Scots had runners on second and third with two out, but the next batter flied out to center, ending the game.

Church and Morrical led the offense with two hits apiece. First year pitcher Maddie Molay (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) tossed 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, while first year Kara Jensen (Elmhurst, Ill./York) also pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

The second game remained scoreless until the top of the second, when St. Kate's broke through with a run on three hits and a walk. It could have been more, but Pistorius struck out the final two batters with the bases loaded. In the bottom of the seventh, Macalester put a runner on first but Riley Leonhardt fanned the final two batters to close out the win. Pistorius held the Wildcats to one run on seven hits while striking out four and walking four in a complete-game effort. Futchko led the bats with two hits.

Macalester plays another MIAC doubleheader on Saturday at Gustavus.