Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Macalester College softball team led from start to finish in a 4-1 victory in Game 1 of a MIAC doubleheader at Concordia College on Monday. The second game was tied, 7-7 after nine innings when play was halted due to darkness. The Scots are now 13-18 overall and 5-10 in the conference, while the Cobbers are now 5-24, 1-12 MIAC.

Macalester started well in the first game, scoring a run in the top of the first inning on a single by senior Emily Bergin (Houston, Texas/St. Thomas Episcopal School) that brought home sophomore Sophie Futchko (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown). Then in the second, junior Elsa Church (St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood) led off with a double, advanced to third on a single by senior Regan Brodine (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) and scored on a sacrifice fly from senior Jessica Katzin (Chicago, Ill./Jones College Prep). Still in the fourth, Futchko followed a single by sophomore Madeleine Kemper (Sioux Falls, S.D./Lincoln) with a two-run single by Futchko to put the Scots on top, 4-0.

Macalester's pitching did the rest, as first year Kara Jensen (Elmhurst, Ill./York) blanked the Cobbers on two hits while walking one and striking out four in four innings. First year Maddie Molay (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) came on in relief and allowed a run on one hit and two walks over three innings to earn the save. Futchko was 3-for-4 with a run and two runs batted in to lead the offense.

The Scots also scored a run in the first inning of Game 2, with Bergin doubling home sophomore Renee Nicholson (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) for a 1-0 lead. Concordia responded with a run in the bottom of the first and two more in the second to lead 3-1. Then in the top of the third, a grounder by junior Emily Pedersen (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) plated Nicholson, and Brodine roped a double to right center to score Pedersen and Church to put the Scots ahead, 4-3. Again the Cobbers answered with a run in the bottom of the third to tie the score at 4-4.

In the top of the fourth, Macalester pulled ahead when junior Mandy Morrical (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon) singled to bring home first year Fiona Candland (San Francisco, Calif./Lowell) and give the Scots a 5-4 edge. Katzin hit an RBI double to plate Church in the fifth, but Concordia tallied three runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 7-6 lead. Down to their final out with runners at second and third in the top of the seventh, the Scots tied the score when junior Cheyenne Woerman (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) hit an infield single that allowed Brodine to score. Macalester loaded the bases with one out in the top of the eighth, but two groundouts ended the threat. Neither team scored through two extra innings, and the game was called due to darkness after nine innings.

Church, Katzin and Nicholson each had three hits in Game 2. Molay pitched the final 4 1/3 innings and shut out the Cobbers on four hits while striking out six and walking one.

Macalester plays at Bethel on Thursday, April 27, beginning at 3:30 p.m. in Arden Hills, Minn.