Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

WEST ST. PAUL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State picked up a big doubleheader sweep on Thursday defeating Concordia-St. Paul, 8-2 and 6-5, in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference college softball at the West St. Paul Dome.
 
SMSU improves to 8-15 overall, 3-5 NSIC, while CSP drops to 17-13 overall, 2-6 NSIC.
 
In game one, CSP took a 1-0 lead in third inning, but SMSU quickly responded in the top of the fourth. Bailey Johnson started the frame with a single and was followed by a walk to Kaylee Hentges. After a ground out, Mackenzie Clouse ripped a ground-rule RBI double to right-centerfield to tie the game at 1-1. Later in the inning with two outs and the bases loaded, Abbie Decker put SMSU in the lead with a two-run single. SMSU pushed the lead to 4-1 two batters later as Emma Grote coaxed a bases loaded walk. The Mustangs finished the inning with three hits and worked four walks off of CSP starter Aryka Knoche.
 
CSP cut the deficit to 4-2 after four, but SMSU would add to the lead in the seventh. Grote started the rally with a bunt single and moments later Bailey Johnson hit a double. Hentges reached on a fielder's choice to score the inning's first run, before Kali Tomlinson hit a run-scoring single to make the score 6-2. Clouse later would hit another ground-rule double to score two more runs and extend the lead to 8-2.
 
SMSU, which out-hit CSP, 9-7, was paced by Johnson and Clouse, who both finished with a pair of hits.
 
Shelby Crank (4-4) picked up the win for SMSU in the circle tossing her fifth complete game of the season. She allowed two runs (one earned) on seven hits with a career-high seven strikeouts and five walks.
 
In game two, SMSU used a five-run second inning with the help of the long ball and wild CSP pitching. Clouse started the scoring belting a two-run homer to left field for her first long-ball of the season. SMSU then worked six walks, including three with the bases loaded, to extend the margin to 5-0.
 
CSP answered with a run in the third, but SMSU regained a five-run lead in the sixth inning. Johnson came through with a clutch two-out single to score Decker and give the Mustangs a 6-1 lead.
 
The insurance run proved to be big as the Golden Bears scored four runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-5. With the tying run at second and one out, Athena Golling came on in relief and retired the next two batters on a fly out and ground out to keep SMSU in the lead.
 
Golling then worked a perfect bottom of the seventh to notch her second save of the season.
 
Megan Cull (1-6) picked up her first win of the season firing 5 1/3 innings and allowing five runs on six hits. She tied a career-high with six strikeouts and walked just one.
 
Both teams finished with six hits with Johnson leading the Mustang with two hits and two RBIs.
 
Southwest Minnesota State continues a busy weekend with a pair of games on Friday with a doubleheader versus MSU Moorhead starting at 6 p.m. at the Presentation College Dome in Aberdeen, South Dakota.