NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton College softball team lost both ends of its home-opening doubleheader with St. Catherine University, falling by scores of 5-3 (8 inn.) and 3-1 (6 inn.)
 
Game 1 – St. Catherine 5, Carleton 3 (8 inn.)
Carleton (7-15, 1-5 MIAC) trailed 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning before the Knights loaded the bases following walks to Grace Colburn and Natasha Paez sandwiched around a single by Livi Peters. Megan Smith smashed a two-out, bases-clearing double to left-center field to give the hosts a 3-1 lead.
 
The advantage was short-lived, however, as St. Catherine (11-13, 3-3 MIAC) scored twice in the top of the third via a hit batter, double, and two Carleton errors.
 
The score was still knotted 3-3 when the teams headed to extra innings. The Wildcats scored twice in the top of the eighth, immediately cashing in the runner placed on second before an error permitted the other run to cross the plate.
 
Peters nearly tied the game with one on in the bottom of the inning. She crushed a drive down the left-field line. The ball cleared the fence, but the wind blew the ball four feet left of the foul pole. Ultimately, the Knights failed to score and dropped to 1-1 in extra-inning games this season.
 
Rachel Block (4-5) took the loss as she permitted five runs (only one earned) on seven hits over 8.0 innings.
 
Taylor Graf tossed 4.0 innings of scoreless 1-hit relief for the win.
 
Game 2 — St. Catherine 3, Carleton 1 (6 inn.)
The game was halted with Carleton trailing 3-1 after six innings due to darkness. Due to conference policy, because at least five complete innings were played and the game was not tied when play was stopped, the game is considered final.
 
The Knights put together several promising rallies but clutch hits eluded the hosts, who left eight runners aboard, six of them in scoring position.
 
The Wildcats jumped out to a 1-0 advantage after Kylee Kohout led off with a single, stole second, advanced on a wild pitch, and came home on a Faith Bonse's sacrifice fly.
 
Carleton tied the game in the bottom of the second. Colburn doubled but could not advance on Peters' bloop single to left field. One out later, Paez dropped a double to left center, scoring Colburn and chasing Peters over to third base.
 
St. Kate's pushed across two more two-out tallies in the fifth inning and took a 3-1 lead.
 
Carleton threatened in the bottom of the frame, but left two runners aboard. The Knights then stranded Peters after a leadoff double in the sixth.
 
Sydney Trentman (2-6) took the loss, yielding three runs (two earned) on four hits over 5.0 innings.
 
Sarah Christy worked 3.0 scoreless frames out of the pen — including back-to-back strikeouts to extinguish Carleton rallies in the fourth and sixth innings — to secure the victory.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton hosts UW-River Falls for a non-conference doubleheader at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9.