Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State softball team extended its winning streak to six games and remained unbeaten in conference play with a doubleheader sweep of St. Cloud State Wednesday afternoon in St. Cloud, Minn.  The Mustangs bettered the Huskies 6-2 in game one and capped the twinbill with a 6-3 victory.

The pair of wins moves SMSU to 14-14 (6-0 NSIC), while SCSU drops to 18-23 (5-5, NSIC).

An Amanda Burkhart single drove in the first of two runs the Mustangs scored in the opening inning of game one; her single scored Jessica Paczosa, who had reached base from her leadoff spot on a walk.  Kiley Peterson batted in the second run in, scoring Christine Borowiak from third.

SCSU answered with a run of its own in the bottom half of the inning, using a two-out single to get on the board and make it 2-1

Neither team got its offense going in the second inning, but in the bottom of the third SMSU managed two runs courtesy of Tucci, who slapped a single to score Amanda Burkart and Borowiak, who had both reached on singles.

Following suit with the first and third innings, the Mustangs put together another two-run spurt, this one in the fifth inning, to quench a fourth-inning scoring drought.  Tucci again was responsible for driving in a pair of runs, these two coming on a monster homerun by the senior.

The Huskies snagged a run in the final inning of play, but the Mustangs lead was strongly in possession as SMSU settled on a 6-2 victory.

Amanda Johnson picked up the win on the mound, going a complete game and giving up eight hits and striking out five.  The senior allowed no earned runs.  She improves to 6-6 on the season.

Borowiak was 3 for 4 at the plate for the Mustangs, but it was Tucci's 2 for 3 hitting outing and four-RBI performance that stole the show. 

Excluding a SMSU one-run campaign to open the first inning of game two, neither ball clubs displayed an offensive presence until late in the contest.

That lone SMSU run in the first inning came after Paczosa got on base with a single and was later hit in on a sacrifice fly by Tucci.

Amanda Voss helped extend the Mustang lead to 2-0 in the fifth inning, dropping in a single to left field to score Burkhart.

But the host Huskies decided it was time to cut into the two-run deficit and managed a three-hit, two-run effort in the bottom of the sixth inning to stalemate the game at 2-2.

But that's when Nicole Kelley ignited what would turn into a SMSU offensive burst, line driving an 0-2 delivery over the fence in left center to score the go-ahead run.  Amanda Voss stepped to the plate next, nailing a double.  Courtey Antilla checked in to pinch run for Voss and was quickly hit in when Andrea Fennern singled the two batters later.

Pacsoza then kept the drive alive with a base hit that was followed by a Braden single that allowed Fennern to score.  Borowiak closed scoring in the inning with a base hit that scored Fennern.

A run in the bottom of the seventh was all that the Huskies could put together.

Braden was 3 for 4 with an RBI to lead SMSU; Paczosa finished 3 for 5.  Borowiak, Kelly and Voss each collected two hits.

Ali Honken went a complete game in the circle, allowing eight hits and mowing down seven.  The sophomore is 3-4 on the season.

SMSU continues conference play this weekend hosting Bemidji State on Friday, April 10 at 2 p.m. and Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, April 11, starting at 12 p.m.

QUICK HITTERS...
Amanda Tucci's homerun puts her just one away from tying Erin Dickhausen's record of 26 career homeruns … Jessica Paczosa added another to her career hit by pitch count; the senior now has now been hit by an SMSU-record 30 pitches.