Box Score Game One | Box Score Game Two
DULUTH, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State softball team (18-22, 13-15 NSIC) split with the seventh regionally-ranked, Minnesota Duluth (29-18, 20-8 NSIC) on Saturday afternoon.
The Mustangs took game one with a 3-1 victory and dropped the second game as the Bulldogs put up two runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 2-1 final.
Game One
The Bulldogs scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second after starting the inning with a single up the middle.
The runner was advanced on sac bunt and then stole home to go on the board.
The Mustangs responded in the top of the fourth as Bailey Johnson went to first on a hit by pitch. Kali Tomlinson followed in the order to single up the middle to advance Johnson. A ground out and a sac fly would then bring Johnson in for a one-run inning to tie the game.
SMSU advanced the lead in the top of both the sixth and seventh with one-run innings as Tomlinson ripped a solo homer to center field in the sixth. In the top of the seventh, Sara DeSmet singled to start the inning. DeSmet was eventually brought in by fielder's choice to finish the top with a 3-1 lead to take game one.
SMSU's Athena Golling tossed all seven innings with two strikeouts. Tomlinson led the Mustangs offensively with two hits, one run, and one RBI.
Game Two
Game two was locked at 0s until the Mustangs put up the first run in the top of the fifth.
Tomlinson doubled to left to score Johnson for the first run of the game.
With a 1-0 lead, Johnson stepped to the plate to start the top of the seventh with a double to left center. She then advanced to third on a passed ball and was brought in by a sac fly from Tomlinson to advance lead to 2-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
The Bulldogs had a loud bottom of the seventh to get exactly the runs they needed to send the game into extra innings.
SMSU committed a fielding error which would advance the runner to second before an RBI-single would score both runs to head to the eighth.
In the top of the eighth, Madison Krog walked to the start the inning before the next three Mustang batters were held up at the plate.
Megan Cull came in to throw the last half to strike the first batter out. Cull and the Mustangs retired the next batter with a pop up to the pitcher before the Bulldogs put the ball to left center for a double, followed by a single to center field for the walk-off victory.
SMSU's Johnson went 3-of-4 at the plate with two runs.
Southwest Minnesota State continues action tomorrow at St. Cloud State at 12 and 2 in St. Cloud, Minnesota to conclude conference play.
