Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

MARSHALL, Minn. – St. Cloud State, ranked eighth in this week's NCAA Central Region rankings, used strong pitching and timely hitting to sweep Southwest Minnesota State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference softball on Sunday at the Schwan Regional Event Center. SCSU won the opener 1-0 and completed the sweep with a 7-3 victory in game two.
 
In game one, SCSU's Kate Kopeck tossed a five-hit shutout, while in game two a pair of SCSU pitchers held SMSU to zero earned runs.
 
The Huskies (28-15, 14-8 NSIC) scored the lone run in the opener behind an RBI ground-rule double from Megan Conrads in the second inning. The run was enough for Kopeck, who struck out eight SMSU hitters and walked a pair.
 
SMSU's best chance to score came in the third inning putting runners on second and third with one out, but a strikeout and a fly out ended the threat.
 
Megan Cull (2-8) was the tough-luck loser for SMSU in the circle as she tossed a complete game four-hitter with a career-high 10 strikeouts and just one walk.
 
Emma Grote and Kali Tomlinson each collected a pair of hits to pace the Mustang offense.
 
In game two, SCSU build a 4-0 lead after three innings and eventually pushed the lead to 6-0 after fourth and a half innings.
 
SMSU (10-21, 5-11 NSIC) mounted a rally in the fifth inning to cut the deficit in half taking advantage of a pair of SCSU errors. SMSU loaded the bases behind singles from Madison Krog and Grote, while Abbie Decker reached via error. Bailey Johnson smacked a grounder that was misplayed by the shortstop to score a pair of runs. Tomlinson followed with an RBI single to score Grote and cut the lead to 6-3.
 
SCSU added to the lead in the seventh with an insurance run to make the score 7-3.
 
Athena Golling (3-7) started in the circle for SMSU and lasted 2 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Bailey Johnson, making her first collegiate pitching appearance, tossed a solid 3 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on three hits with two strikeouts.
 
Both teams finished with eight hits in the contest.
 
Southwest Minnesota State will look to snap its six-game losing streak on Monday hosting Minnesota Duluth for a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m. at the Schwan Regional Event Center.