Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Southwest Minnesota State picked up its first conference win of the season on Thursday splitting a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference softball doubleheader with Upper Iowa at Sherman Park. SMSU rallied to win 9-8 in the opener before UIU earned an 8-4 win in game two.
The games were originally scheduled to be played in Marshall but were moved because of field conditions. SMSU will close the week on Friday facing No. 8-ranked Winona State for a twinbill starting at 2 p.m. at Sherman Park.
SMSU is now 6-13 overall, 1-3 NSIC, while UIU sits at 14-10 overall, 1-3 NSIC.
In game one, SMSU rallied for the victory after trailing 7-3 in the fifth inning, by scoring five runs in the bottom of the fifth and adding the eventual game-winning run in the sixth.
UIU scored three runs in the second—highlighted by a two-run home run—to build a 3-0 advantage.
SMSU answered in the home half of the third on an RBI single by
Kaylee Hentges and a two-run single by
Mackenzie Clouse to tie the game at 3-3.
UIU added a single run in the fourth and three more in the fifth to build a 7-3 lead before SMSU mounted its rally. The rally started with a single by
Emma Grote and back-to-back walks to load the bases.
Kali Tomlinson then stroked a two-run double to cut the deficit in half. Clouse followed with an RBI single before
Madison Krog was hit by a pitch to reload the bases.
Sara DeSmet tied the game with an RBI single before
Abbie Decker hit a sac fly to put SMSU in the lead at 8-7.
SMSU picked up a huge insurance run the sixth as
Bailey Johnson scored on a throwing error by the UIU third baseman to push the lead to 9-7.
UIU would hit a two-out, solo home run in the seventh—the team's third home run of the game—but it wasn't enough as SMSU snapped its four-game losing streak.
Athena Golling (3-4) earned the win in relief tossing the final 2 1/3 innings allowing just the one home run. She struck out two and did not walk a batter.
Shelby Crank started and pitched 4 2/3 innings allowing seven runs (six earned) on 13 hits with three strikeouts.
Johnson, Clouse and
Madysson Schliinz paced SMSU's 11-hit attack with two hits each.
In the nightcap, UIU used a three-run third inning to open a 4-0 lead, then pushed across three unearned runs in the fourth to build a 7-0 advantage.
SMSU scored its first run of the game on a Johnson single to score Schliinz in the bottom of the fourth.
UIU added another unearned run in the fifth, but Tomlinson answered with a solo home run in the home half to make the deficit 8-2. It was Tomlinson's team-leading third home run of the season.
SMSU made the score 8-4 in the sixth scoring a run on a UIU fielding error before Clouse drilled an RBI single.
The Mustangs finished game two with five hits.
Megan Cull (0-5) suffered the loss in the circle firing three innings and allowing four runs on seven hits.
