GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE
NSIC TOURNAMENT BRACKET
FAYETTE, Iowa - Southwest Minnesota State rallied from a 5-0 seventh-inning deficit to defeat Upper Iowa 8-6 in eight innings in Game 1 of a conference doubleheader Sunday afternoon in Fayette, Iowa. UIU rebounded to win Game 2 4-3. The Game 1 victory puts SMSU in eighth in the final conference standings and secures a spot in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament for the Mustangs.
SMSU moves to 18-23 (11-15 NSIC); UIU finishes its season 15-21 (10-16 NSIC).
SMSU scored five runs in the seventh inning to push Game 1 to extra frames. The Mustangs scored three runs in the eighth to move ahead for good.
Amy Dreessen finished 2 for 4 with four RBIs. The freshman drove in three runs in the seventh and another in the eighth.
Christine Borowiak and
Krista Steen each went 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Both drove in one run in the seventh and eighth innings.
Brittney Hallahan and
Meaghan Laetsch each also collected two hits.
Cortney Heim, who pitched the final two innings for SMSU, picked up the win in the circle. She entered in the seventh with the game tied 5-5, giving up one run on three hits to move to 8-10.
Chelsey Evans made the start for the Mustangs, working the first 3.1 innings before
Ali Honken finished out the third. Evans re-entered to start the fourth and tossed another 2.0 innings. The sophomore allowed three runs on four hits.
UIU opened scoring in the bottom of the second inning after Hannah Jones hit a stand-up double to left field and was driven in two batters later.
The Peacocks took a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Jones smashed a grand slam off Honken, who had entered two batters earlier, to right field.
The Mustangs decided to charge back in the seventh inning, pouring in five runs on five hits to knot the contest at 5-5.
With two outs, Dreessen nailed a deep double to center field to score three runs. Doubles from Borowiak and Steen followed, scoring two runs and tying the game at 5-5.
Heim retired the Peacocks in order in the bottom of the inning to push the game to extra innings.
The Mustangs again went to work with two outs in the eighth. Back-to-back singles by Dreessen and Borowiak scored a pair of runs, while Steen slapped a double to left center to score another run and put her squad up 8-5.
UIU threated in the bottom half of the inning, scoring one run on three hits. The Mustangs silenced a potential seventh run from the Peacocks by throwing out Ashley Brown at third after she made a move for home and got caught in rundown. UIU flied out to center for the final out of the game.
UIU used a two-run sixth inning in Game 2 to rally from a one-run difference and defeat SMSU 4-3.
Laetsch paced the Mustangs with a 2 for 3 performance, while Hallahan was 2 for 4.
Heim suffered the loss for SMSU, giving up a pair of runs on four hits in 3.0 innings of work. She entered in the fourth inning after
Lauren Smith tossed 3.0 innings as the starter. Smith gave up two runs on five hits.
The Mustangs mustered one run in the opening inning as Hallhan, Laetsch and Steen each registered singles to put SMSU 1-0.
The Mustangs held a one-run advantage until the bottom of the third when UIU dropped in two runs.
Hallahan and Dreessen teamed up with a pair of singles to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning. Hallahan managed to beat out a play at the plate to even the score.
Katie Turner was responsible for a lead change in the top of the sixth for the Mustangs as the sophomore slammed her third home run of the year to give SMSU a 3-2 advantage.
The Peacocks answered in the bottom of the frame, scoring one run off a Karrie Coon single and taking advantage of a Mustang error to score another.
The 4-3 UIU lead held as SMSU's offense sputtered in the final inning of play.
SMSU will take the No. 8 seed to the NSIC Tournament and will face No. 1-seeded Augustana. Game times for the tournament, which is hosted by the top seed, will be announced this week.
