Game Box

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The 10^th seeded Southwest Minnesota State softball team continued its strong run in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament earning a 5-2 victory over eight-seed Concordia-St. Paul in an elimination game at Sherman Park.
 
SMSU, which defeated fourth-seed St. Cloud State earlier on Friday, is one of four teams remaining in the tournament. SMSU will face No. 2 seed Augustana on Saturday with first pitch at 10 a.m. at Augustana's Bowden Field.
 
SMSU's three victories in the tournament have come against teams ranked among the top 10 in this week's region rankings and all three have won 30 or more games this season.
 
The Mustangs jumped on the board in the first frame as Kali Tomlinson belted a two-run homer.
 
SMSU (18-25) made the score 3-0 in the second as Sara DeSmet came through with a clutch two-out RBI single to score Kaylee Hentges.
 
Bailey Johnson pushed the SMSU lead to 4-0 in the third with an RBI double to score Abbie Decker, who started the inning with a double. Johnson would score moments later on a fielding error by CSP to extend the lead to 5-0.
 
CSP (30-24), which is ranked 10^th in this week's NCAA Central Region rankings, scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to cut the lead to 5-2. The Golden Bears cut the deficit to 5-2 in the fifth and had the bases loaded with one out, but SMSU starting pitcher Shelby Crank recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
 
Megan Cull came on in relief and shut down the Golden Bears in the final two frames to record her first save of the season.
 
Crank (6-7) picked up her first win since April 6, tossing five innings and allowing two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and three walks.
 
SMSU, which finished with eight hits, was led by Tomlinson and Emma Grote, who both finished 2 for 4.
 
SMSU and Augustana will be meeting for the third time this season with the Vikings winning both games, 11-1 and 3-2.