Game One Box

Game Two Box

MARSHALL, MINN.: The No. 13 Southwest Minnesota State softball team wrapped up the regular season with two wins over Augustana (S.D.) on Tuesday in Marshall with a 5-0 victory in game one and a 5-3 victory in game two.  SMSU improves to 35-8 overall this spring.

For seniors Erin Dickhausen and Amanda Opatz, it was their final regular season games of their careers.

Amanda Johnson threw a three-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts in game one and earned the save in game two.

In game one, SMSU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run single by Amanda Tucci that scored Jessica Paczosa and Amanda Burkhart.

The Mustangs added three more unearned runs with two outs in the fourth when Nicole Kelley hit bases loaded fly ball to deep right that was dropped by the Augustana right fielder and cleared the bases.

That was all Johnson needed as the Vikings did not get a hit after the third inning.

Kristin Braden and Andrea Fennern each had two hits and scored a run.

In game two, Meaghan Laetsch got Southwest on top early, scoring on a two-out single by Tucci in the first.  The Mustangs added a run in the third on Burkhart's sixth home run of the season, over the right-center field wall.

Augie finally got to starter Sara Silke for an unearned run in the fifth to cut the Southwest lead to 2-1.

SMSU scored two more in the fifth on Kiley Petersen's fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot that scored Burkhart.  The Mustangs added another run in the sixth on a single to center by Dickhausen.

The Vikings made things interesting in the seventh.  After getting a strikeout and a ground out to start the top of the inning, AC's Amber Bollman reached on a wild pitch after striking out.  After Johnson walked Kayla Henke, Erika Wolner ripped a two-run double to right to cut the SMSU lead to 5-3.  But Johnson got Ally Rutherford to fly out to right to end the game.

Petersen led SMSU's offense, going 3-for-3 with two RBI.

The Mustangs will host the NSIC Tournament, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Mustang Field and the Marshall Softball Complex.