ST. CLOUD, Minn.- Southwest Minnesota State split a second straight NSIC doubleheader with an 8-7 win in game one at St. Cloud State followed by a 5-0 loss on Sunday afternoon.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 1 Recap
Southwest Minnesota State won a back-and-forth, extra innings contest with an RBI double in the top of the eighth inning to edge past SCSU, 8-7.
SMSU never trailed in the game and took a four run lead with four runs scored in the top of the seventh but watched its lead slip away after a grand slam from St. Cloud State in the bottom of the seventh.
Sam Flack was 2 for 3 with three RBI and
Karmann Carroll was 2 for 4 with the game winning base hit while
Alex O'Connor pitched all eight innings to earn her 10th win of the season.
The Mustangs didn't even record a base hit until the top of the fourth inning but did take a 1-0 lead in the third inning without a hit thanks to a lead-off walk and two Huskies' errors.
SMSU pushed its lead to 3-0 after
Madison Krog was hit by a pitch and
Sam Flack followed up with a two-run home run which was also the Mustangs' first hit of the day.
The Mustangs held their three run lead into the bottom of the sixth when St. Cloud State evened the game up again with three total runs that included two unearned.
SMSU responded by loading the bases to begin the seventh inning which
Alex Reak took advantage of with a two RBI single to give the Mustangs their lead back. SMSU would bat through the lineup in the inning while scoring two additional runs to take a 7-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
SCSU loaded the bases with just one out in the seventh and SMSU saw its lead slip away with one swing of the bat as the Huskies sent the game to extra innings with a game-tying grand slam.
Abbie Decker had a single to lead-off a second straight game and came around to score what would prove to be the game winning run on an RBI double by
Karmann Carroll.
Game 2 Box Score
Game 2 Recap
SMSU had chances to score in game two but were unable to string enough offense together in a 5-0 loss to wrap up its doubleheader at St. Cloud State.
SMSU, which entered the weekend batting .520 as a team with the bases loaded, was unable to take the lead after loading the bases with just one out in the top of the second. St. Cloud State then took the lead in the bottom half of the inning with two base hits and one wild pitch.
The Mustangs found themselves with runners on second and third and only one out in the top of the fifth but again left runners stranded.
St. Cloud State grew its lead in the bottom half of the fifth with a three run homer that followed two singles to lead off the inning.
Sam Flack led off the sixth inning with a triple but was stranded by two strikeouts and a pop up. The Mustangs gave up a fifth run in the bottom of the sixth but had two base hits in the seventh only to see two more runners left on base to end the game.
SMSU will play its final road doubleheader of the season at Wayne State on Wednesday and conclude the season against Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State next weekend.
