Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State softball team picked up a critical doubleheader sweep over Wayne State on Wednesday afternoon at the Schwan Regional Event Center, winning 7-1 and 3-2, to keep its NSIC Tournament hopes alive.
 
SMSU, which improves to 13-22 overall, 8-12 NSIC, entered today tied for 11^th in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference standings, while WSC (15-26, 9-13 NSIC) came into the day in 10^th place. The top 10 teams in the final regular season standings qualify for the tournament next week in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
 
The Mustangs used a pair of outstanding pitching performances by Megan Cull and Athena Golling to complete the sweep. SMSU has been without the services of one of its top pitchers this week, Shelby Crank, who has missed the past six games with an injury. Cranks leads the team in starts, victories and ERA.
 
In the opener, SMSU snapped a 1-1 game with a six-run fifth inning—highlighted by a grand slam from Bailey Johnson—to give the Mustangs the victory.
 
Cull was solid again for SMSU in the circle as she recorded 11 strikeouts for the second straight game and now racked up 32 in her last three starts. Cull allowed one run on eight hits and walked one batter in improving to 4-8 on the season.
 
SMSU opened the scoring in game one on an RBI ground by Mackenzie Clouse to score Emma Grote in the bottom of the first.
 
WSC rallied in the top of the second to tie the game behind a triple from Rachel Shumaker and an RBI single from Abbie Hix.  
 
Madison Krog started the game-winning fifth inning rally with a single, before moving to third base on a sac bunt by Alex Reak and throwing error by WSC, to put runners on the corners with no outs. Sara DeSmet reached on a fielder's choice sac bunt to load the bases, before Krog put SMSU in the lead by stealing home on a unique play. With Abbie Decker batting, Decker took a 2-2 pitch for a ball and ran to first thinking it was ball four. All the SMSU runners moved up a base before WSC realized it was only ball three to give the Mustangs a 2-1 lead. Emma Grote followed with an RBI single before Johnson blasted a 3-2 pitch over the right-centerfield fence to make the score 7-1. It was Johnson's third home run of the season and SMSU's first grand slam of the season.
 
Johnson and Grote each finished game one 3 for 4 to pace SMSU's 10-hit attack.
 
In game two, WSC opened the scoring in the top of the first on an RBI single by Emily Chandler.
 
SMSU quickly answered in the home half of the first as Grote singled with one out and promptly stole second base. Johnson followed moments later ripping a run-scoring single to right field to tie the game at 1-1.  
 
SMSU took its first lead of the game in the second inning as Abbie Decker came through with a clutch two-out RBI single to score Krog and give the Mustangs a 2-1 advantage.
 
The Wildcats rallied back to tie the score in the fifth inning, but the game didn't stay tied for long as Tomlinson ripped a two-out, run-scoring double to score Johnson and to put the Mustangs back in front 3-2.
 
Golling shut the door the remainder of the game, including striking out the side in the seventh. She scattered eight hits and did not walk a batter in the game while improving to 4-8 on the season. Golling racked up 11 strikeouts in her last start on Monday versus Minnesota Duluth.
 
SMSU finished with a 9-8 hit advantage in game two with Krog and Decker each finishing with two hits.
 
Today was the final home games for SMSU's lone senior, Mackenzie Clouse.
 
Southwest Minnesota State concludes the regular season this weekend with big four games in northern Minnesota. SMSU will face Bemidji State on Saturday for a twinbill starting at 1 p.m., before taking on Minnesota Crookston on Sunday for a 12 p.m. doubleheader.