Game One Box

Game Two Box

ST. CLOUD, MINN.:  The seventh-ranked Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs earned their 11th straight victory with a 1-0 victory over St. Cloud State on Wednesday afternoon, before dropping game two 4-3.  SMSU is now 21-7 overall this spring.

Amanda Johnson earned the shutout on the mound in the first game as she improved her record to 17-2 and gains her fourth shutout of the season.  Johnson threw all seven innings, allowing five hits and striking out five.

Southwest scored the only run of the game in the top of the sixth inning when Andrea Fennern hit a base hit to left field to score Janeane Robinson.  Robinson had pinch ran for Amanda Tucci, who reached on a one-out single.

Amanda Burkhart appeared to add an insurance run in the seventh with a home run, but she was ruled out as she high-fived a teammate before touching home plate.

SMSU started the second game on a rough note, trailing 3-0 after the first three SCSU batters in the bottom of the first.  Starter Alina Honken allowed back-to-back doubles before the third Husky batter belted a home run to chase Honken from the game after three batters.

Relief pitcher Sara Silke pitched the next four innings, allowing just one unearned run.

Southwest got one run back in the top of the third when Kiley Petersen led off with a home run to make it a 3-1 game.  But St. Cloud answered back in the bottom of the inning, bringing the score to 4-1.

SMSU loaded the bases with one out in the fourth when Tucci hit an RBI single to cut the lead to two.  Petersen followed with a sacrifice fly to cut the lead in half, before Katie Turner lined out to end the rally.

Jessica Paczosa hit a one-out single in the fifth, but she was the last baserunner for the Mustangs.

SMSU will be back in action on Saturday and Sunday at the Concordia St. Paul Tournament.