TUCSON, ARIZ. – The St. Catherine University softball team is starting to find its grove. After posting a 3-3 record through the first six games of the season, St. Kate's went 2-0 for the first time this season in what turned out to be dramatic fashion. The Wildcats pounded Fontbonne University en route to a 12-2 victory to open the day before earning their second win with a dramatic 6-4 comeback victory over Otterbein. 
 
St. Kate's offense picked up right where it left off Friday, as it scored a season-high 12 runs in a 12-2 win over Fontbonne. The Wildcats wasted no time putting numbers on the board either, as they scored three runs to take a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. It helped that the top four batters all reached base free of charge, as Anna Hinderaker (Rosemount, Minn. / Rosemount) and Kylie Macziewski (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) drew back-to-back walks right before Jenna George (Ellsworth, Wis. / Ellsworth) and Ashley Sis (Brooklyn Park, Minn. / Osseo) were both hit by pitches in the ensuing at bats.
 
Sis' hit by pitch brought Hinderaker home, marking the first time in program history St. Kate's scored the opening run of the game without registering a hit. However, that trend didn't last very long. Krista Flugstad (Bloomington, Minn. / Jefferson) hit into an RBI fielder's choice, as her routine grounder to the second basemen scored Macziewski from third to put the Wildcats ahead 2-0. Catcher Sammie Galvez (Gilbert, Ariz. / Williams Field) then recorded St. Kate's first hit of the ball game, brining George in from third to extend the lead to 3-0.
 
Of course, the Wildcats weren't satisfied with a measly 3-0 lead after the first inning and proceeded to score six more runs in the bottom of the second. Like the first inning, Trish Sherman (Roseville, Minn. / Roseville) started things off with a walk, reached second on a pass ball and advanced to third on a single from Hinderaker. The junior later scored on yet another pass ball, putting St. Kate's ahead 4-0 with zero outs in the second.
 
In the ensuing plays, Hinderaker reached third and eventually stole home during George's at bat. However, George and Sis recorded back-to-back outs, and it looked like Macziewski would be stranded at second. Back-to-back walks by Flugstad and Galvez, though, set the stage for Amber Montero (Circle Pines, Minn. / Centennial), who hit a monster double to score Macziewski and Flugstad. Woebke followed that up with a double of her own to secure a 9-0 lead for the Wildcats after just two innings of play.
 
 
The Griffins managed to score a run of their own in the top of the third, but St. Kate's answered by scoring yet another, pushing the lead to 10-1. In fact, the Wildcats scored one run in the third and two in the fourth to cement their 12-1 lead through four innings. Although Fontbonne managed to score another in the top of the fifth, it wasn't enough to cut into St. Kate's lead, resulting in the 12-2 victory after five innings of play.
 
Kathryn Proper (St. Paul, Minn. / Como Park) earned the first victory of her career, as she tallied four strikeouts and gave up just one run and three hits in three innings of work.
 
After a dominating win over the Griffins, the Wildcats were looking to be just as good, if not better, against Otterbein. However, St. Kate's got off to a bit of a rocky start, as an error in the second inning led to a 2-0 lead for the Cardinals. Otterbein added another run in the third and somehow kept the Wildcats hot bats at bay, as the home team held a 3-0 lead midway through the game.
 
Slowly but surely, St. Kate's chipped away at the Cardinals lead, and it all started with a Montero single to lead off the fourth inning. While the sophomore outfielder was called out at second during the following at bat, her single up the middle was enough to jump start a Wildcat rally, as Jianna Lemaire (New Brighton, Minn. / Irondale) scored the team's first run of the game thanks to an RBI single by Sis. In the very next inning, Macziewski hit her second home run of the season, cutting the lead to 3-2 with two innings left to play.
 
Otterbein held St. Kate's at bay in the sixth, but a furious seventh inning rally resulted in a 6-3 lead for the Wildcats. Hinderaker led off the inning with a single and was bunted to second by Macziewski, who was also safe at first on the play. The two base runners moved up on Montero's fly out to center field, setting the stage for Galvez. Unfortunately, after a long run down, Hinderaker was called out at home, and St. Kate's had runners on second and third with just one out remaining to tie the ball game.
 
Fortunately, the Wildcats had some of their top hitters at the plate in George and Flugstad. Not wanting to risk a multi-base hit, the Cardinals opted to walk the dangerous George and face Flugstad instead. The senior pitcher certainly made them pay, but not in the way everyone expected, as Flugstad was hit by a pitch, allowing Macziewski to walk in from third to score the game tying run.
 
With the score knotted at 3-3, Sis hit a clutch bases clearly double to put St. Kate's up 6-3. Turns out, the extra two runs were helpful and needed. Otterbein managed to score one run off Maddie Greer (Oakdale, Minn. / North St. Paul) in the bottom of the seventh, but the sophomore got the Cardinals six batter to strike out swinging, resulting in the 6-4 win for the Wildcats.
 
Sis was 3-4 at the plate in game two with four RBI, while Woebke and Hinderaker were both 1-3.
 
Thanks to the 2-0 day, St. Kate's overall record improved to 5-3. The Wildcats will take on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Birmingham-Southern on the final day of the NFCA DIII Leadoff Classic. The game against MIT is set to begin at 9 a.m. MST, with the game against Birmingham-Southern to follow immediately after.