BOX SCORE: Game 1 | Game 2 | Post-game Press Conference

MARSHALL, Minn. - Chelsey Rodenkirch hit a three-run home run and finished 2 for 4 with a career-high four RBIs to lead Southwest Minnesota State to a 10-2 defeat of Minnesota Crookston in game one on Friday. SMSU now with a season-long three-game winning streak. 

Game 1 | SMSU 10-2
Ashley Manusos gave UMC an early 2-0 lead when she blasted a two-run homer run to right field off of starting pitcher Rachel Hoeppner. The hit for Manusos was her second home run of the season and just Hoeppner's sixth home run allowed in 120 innings.

SMSU batted around in the fourth inning as the Mustangs would end up sending 11 batters to the plate. SMSU ended up with six runs in the inning – all unearned – highlighted by Chelsey Rodenkirch's three-run homer to deep left. Alysse Luttman gave SMSU a 3-2 lead just before Rodenkirch's second home run of the season with a two-RBI single to centerfield that scored Karmann Carroll and Jennifer Johnson.  

Hoeppner responded to SMSU's big inning by keeping the momentum swung in the favor of the Mustangs as she retired The Golden Eagles in order in the bottom of the fourth.

SMSU scored its first earned run of the game in the fifth when Carroll hit a hard grounder that made its way through the infield and scored Kailey Hanson, who walked to start the inning. Carroll later scored to make it 8-2 on a throwing error by catcher Brooke Timmins.

Rodenkirch picked up her fourth RBI of the game in the seventh inning with a RBI double that went to the fence and scored Luttmann from second base. Rodenkirch finished the game 2 for 4 with two runs scored and four RBIs. Her four RBIs marks a career-high with her previous high of three coming earlier this season versus Colorado School of Mines on February 15.

Hoeppner recorded her sixth win of the season and secured SMSU's longest winning streak this season by working seven full innings allowing just four hits and two earned runs while striking out seven. 

Game 2 | SMSU 5-2
SMSU struck first in the top of the first with a two-out RBI single to left from Jazmyne Neely that scored Rodenkirch from third. Rodenkirch legged out an infield single to start the game.

UMC answered in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run single to center by Alexis Khoshaba after UMC loaded the bases with a fielding error, a walk and a single.

SMSU took advantage of two UMC errors in the sixth to take a 4-2 lead. SMSU loaded the bases with nobody outs thanks in part to a fielding and throwing error by shortstop Allison Foley. Foley's fielding error allowed Scearcy to reach to leadoff and later a wide throw pulled first baseman Cateline Fafard off the base to allow Emily Olson reach to load the bases. Shelbie Stoll tied the game one batter later with a sacrifice fly to deep right field that allowed Scearcy to tag from third. With runners on first and third, Karmann Carroll stroked a two-RBI double to the gap to give SMSU a 4-2 lead.

SMSU added another unearned run in the seventh to make it a 5-2 cushion, but Hoeppner, who came in the game in the third, wouldn't need it as she had a scoreless seventh inning. With her two wins today, Hoeppner improves to 7-10 on the season.

The Mustangs now have won four straight games marking the longest winning streak of the season.