MANKATO, Minn. – The Macalester College softball team started the 2024 campaign with a combined no-hitter in an 11-0 win over North Central University Saturday morning at the Maverick Dome at Minnesota State-Mankato. The Scots, who were 15-22-1 a year ago, lost to Bethany Lutheran College, 8-2 in the day's second game.
In the win over North Central, three Macalester pitchers combined to toss a no-hitter over five innings. Sophomore
Kara Jensen (Elmhurst, Ill./York) started and pitched two perfect innings with four strikeouts, sophomore
Maddie Molay (Northbrook, Ill./Glenbrook North) fanned five and walked one in two innings, and junior
Kaitlyn Pistorius (Parker, Colo./Legend) struck out two and walked two in the fifth and final inning.
At the plate, the Scots racked up 16 hits and two walks in 30 at-bats en route to scoring 11 runs. Senior
Elsa Church (St. Louis, Mo./Kirkwood) went 3-for-4 with two triples, senior
Mandy Morrical (Mount Vernon, Iowa/Mount Vernon) had two hits and scored two runs, and junior
Madeleine Kemper (Sioux Falls, S.D./Lincoln) delivered two hits, including a run-scoring triple.
Against Bethany Lutheran, the game was scoreless until the top of the fourth, when the Vikings scored a pair of runs. Then in the fifth, Bethany Lutheran tallied five runs, three earned, on three hits and two Macalester errors for a commanding 7-0 lead. The Scots didn't get on the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded and two out, a passed ball allowed sophomore
Fiona Candland (San Francisco, Calif./Lowell) and senior
Cheyenne Woerman (Oswego, Ill./Oswego) to come home and make the score 7-2. The Vikings scored another run in the seventh, and Macalester was retired in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.
Juniors
Sophie Futchko (Prince Frederick, Md./Huntingtown) and
Renee Nicholson (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South), along with first year
Elizabeth Welch (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North), each had two hits. First year
Rileigh Morlock (Lincoln, Ill./Normal Community West) pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing seven runs, five earned, on six hits while striking out four and walking two. First year
Tess Bojorquez (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente) did not allow a hit in 2 1/3 innings of relief.
Macalester continues its season on Friday, Feb. 23 with a non-conference doubleheader against Minnesota Morris at the Dundas Dome.
