MSUM Box Score
BSU Box Score

WEST ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team opened the 2019 season on Tuesday with a pair of non-conference victories inside the West St. Paul Dome.
 
SMSU opened with a 7-2 victory in the morning, before earning a 3-1 win over Bemidji State
 
The two games are two of four SMSU will play over the next two days at the Dragon-Beaver Battle hosted by MSU Moorhead and Bemidji State. The Mustangs will take on Minnesota Crookston on Wednesday at 9 a.m., before closing the day versus MSU Moorhead at 11:30 a.m.
 
Today's two victories are also the first for SMSU first-year head coach Bailey Bouman.
 
In the opener, SMSU started the game's scoring in the top of first as Abby Decker walked and moved to third on a double by Emma Grote. Bailey Johnson then lied a sac fly to left to score Decker and give SMSU a 1-0 advantage.
 
MSUM added single runs in the second and third to take a 2-1 lead, but SMSU quickly answered to tie the game in the fourth. Kali Tomlinson led off the inning with walk and was replaced by pinch runner Lauren Klein. Klein would later move to third on a single by Johnson and a ground out, before scoring on a wild pitch to tie the score.
 
SMSU regained the lead in the sixth as Tomlinson and Johnson opened the inning with singles. After Johnson stole second, Madison Krog smacked a two-run double to give SMSU a 4-2 lead. The lead moved to 5-2 as Olivia Gasca came through with a two-out RBI single to score Krog.
 
SMSU added two insurance runs in the seventh to put the game away.
 
Johnson led SMSU's nine-hit offense going 3 for 3 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Grote added two hits.
 
Megan Cull (1-0) picked up the victory for SMSU with four hitless innings of relief. She struck out four and walked one.
 
Shelby Crank started in the circle for SMSU and tossed three innings, allowing two runs on four hits with one strikeout and one walk.
 
In the win over BSU, the Mustangs snapped a scoreless game in the fourth as Madysson Schliinz and Grote started the frame with back-to-back singles. Following a sac bunt by Tomlinson, Johnson hit a ground ball to second that was misplayed allowing both runners to score and give SMSU a 2-0 lead.
 
BSU pushed across an unearned run in the home half of the fourth to cut the deficit to 2-1.
 
SMSU came through with a big insurance run in the sixth as Grote led off with a single and later advanced to third on a stolen base and a wild pitch. Johnson then stroked an RBI double to right centerfield to push the SMSU lead to 3-1.
 
The run support was more than enough for SMSU starter Athena Golling, who allowed just one unearned run on four hits in tossing the complete game. She tied a career-high with 11 strikeouts and walked just one.  
 
Schliinz and Grote each finished with two hits, while Johnson finished with two RBIs to pace the Mustang offense.