NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Macalester College softball team played a pair of tight games at Carleton on Saturday, losing the first, 11-10 before winning Game 2, 5-4 at Ele Hansen Field. The Scots are now 14-19 overall and 6-13 in the conference, while the Knights are 13-19, 4-12 MIAC.

In the first game, Carleton jumped out to a 5-0 lead after a big first inning. Macalester responded in the top of the second, as senior Jessica Katzin (Chicago, Ill./Jones College Prep) and junior Emily Pedersen (Hutchinson, Minn./Hutchinson) hit RBI doubles, and senior Regan Brodine (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) and sophomore Sophie Futchko (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) each singled home runs to make the score 5-4. After the Knights scored a run in the bottom of the second, the Scots pushed five runs across in the top of the third for a 9-6 lead. Brodine, Pedersen and junior Mandy Morrical (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon) scored on errors, first year Hannah Taylor (Pearland, Texas/Shadow Creek) singled to plate Katzin, and sophomore Renee Nicholson (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) bunted home Taylor.

Carleton got two runs back in the fourth, only to have Taylor hit her first collegiate home run in the fifth to make the score 10-8 Scots. In the bottom of the fifth, the Knights scored three runs to regain the lead, 11-10. Macalester was held hitless over the final two innings, as Carleton clinched Game 1. Nicholson had three hits, while Futchko, Brodine, Katzin and Taylor each registered two hits in the loss.

Macalester got on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning of Game 2, with Nicholson reaching on an error and advancing to second before scoring on a single by Morrical. In the top of the third, Morrical singled home Futchko, stole second and scored on a double by Brodine for a 3-0 lead. The Knights responded with two runs in the third and another in the fifth to tie the score at 3-3.

The game remained tied until the top of the seventh. Katzin led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Pedersen. After junior Cheyenne Woerman (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) drew a walk, Futchko was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Nicholson followed with a single up the middle to bring home Katzin, then Morrical drew a bases-loaded walk to plate junior Elsa Church (St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood), who had reentered for Woerman, for a 5-3 advantage. Carleton was able to score a run in the bottom of the seventh and had a runner on third before first year Kara Jensen (Elmhurst, Ill./York) struck out the final batter to end the game.

Morrical went 2-for-2 with two walks and three runs batted in to lead the offense. Jensen went the distance, allowing four runs on 10 hits while striking out four and walking two to improve to 6-2 on the season.

Macalester closes out the regular season with a MIAC doubleheader against St. Olaf on Monday, May 1. The first pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. at the Macalester Softball Complex.