GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX

WINONA, Minn. – Winona State, ranked third in the country, improved to 31-2 overall and 12-0 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference picking up two one-run wins over Southwest Minnesota State University who drops to 16-14 on the season, 7-7 in the NSIC. The Warriors won the opener 1-0 before picking up a 2-1 win in game two.

Stacey Struzynski outlasted Southwest Minnesota State's Chelsey Evans winning a pitchers duel in the opener. Struzynski threw three and two thirds of an inning of hitless softball while Evans did not allow a hit until the bottom of the fifth inning.

SMSU finished the game with just two hits, while Winona State finished with four, including three in the fifth inning. Krista Steen got SMSU's first hit of the game on a single to center field in the top of the fourth inning. Shelbie Stoll, who walked before Steen came to the plate, moved up to third on the play. That is where she would stay as Struzynski struck out Kasey Eichten to end the threat.

Struzynski finished the game with eight strikeouts, improving to 16-1 on the season while Evans fell to 8-4, finishing with one strikeout while giving up three walks.

SMSU's Kris Penick extended her hit streak to 10 games with her first double of the season in the top of the fifth inning. Struzynski was able to strikeout Ashley Gigax to end the inning and get out of the two-out jam.

In a pitcher's duel, the Warriors broke through in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring the game's only run on three hits. Kaitlin Hardie led off the inning with a single to right field and stole second base with one out.

Piotrowski then singled to left field moving Hardie up to third, and advanced to second on the throw to put runners on first and second with one out. Mollie Link then singled to score Hardie for the first run of the game before Evans got the next two batters to end the inning giving up just one run.

The Mustangs were set down in order in the sixth and seventh innings losing game one 1-0.

Each team finished with five hits in the second game, with the Warriors pushing a run across in each of the second and third innings.

SMSU opened up the scoring in the top of the first inning when Christine Borowiak stole home with two outs in the inning. Borowiak opened up the inning with an infield single before moving up to second base on a ground out by Penick. Borowiak then stole third base before swiping home on a double steal, for her 11th of the season, with Morgan Peterson taking second base.

Winona State's Britt Stewart led off the bottom of the second inning with a home run over the center field fence to tie the game at one apiece. The Warriors took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning when Kim Wachholder hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Brooke Piotrowski who led off the inning with a single.

SMSU left a runner on base in three of the next four innings but failed to push a run across falling to the nationally ranked Warriors.

Rachel Hoeppner took the loss in the circle for SMSU falling to 6-8 on the season. Hoeppner allowed five hits and two earned runs with no strikeouts. WSU's Kelsey Anderson improved to 6-1 on the season while Struzynski picked up her third save.

SMSU returns to action tomorrow afternoon with a doubleheader at Upper Iowa beginning at 1 p.m.