JAN PHYL VILLAGE, Fla.- The Southwest Minnesota State softball team (7-8) would cash in on career days from
Patia Wolfe and
Shelby Bloemendaal to help lead them to a 5-2 victory over University of the Sciences (0-5) on Sunday morning at Auburndale Softball Complex.
Wolfe would pick up a career-high three RBIs, going 2 for 3 to lead a Mustang offense that would pick up 11 hits on the day.
Bailey Johnson would also have a multi-hit day, going 2 for 3 with a walk and a pair of RBIs, as would
Jillian Noel, who went 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Shelby Bloemendaal (5-3) was a steady presence on the mound, finishing a complete game giving up two runs (both earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out a career-high seven batters.
After an hour and a half delay and a clean first inning defensively, the Mustangs would load the bases with an out in the bottom of the inning but couldn't push a run across.
After each team would put up a zero in the second, SMSU would break through in the third, taking advantage of a dropped pop up with two outs when Wolfe drove a two-run single to right center field, giving SMSU a 2-0 lead.
The Mustangs would tack on two more runs in the fourth when Johnson delivered a two-run single through the right side of the infield, scoring
Paige Shwaluk and
Emily Tatur to double the SMSU lead to 4-0.
USciences would punch back in the fifth, picking up a pair of RBI singles to cut the lead in half at 4-2, but Bloemendaal would shut down further damage with a bases loaded strikeout to end the frame.
Wolfe would deliver again in the fifth, driving in Bloemendaal with a single up the middle to add insurance and give SMSU a 5-2 lead that would ultimately hold as Bloemendaal retired seven of the final eight batters to end the game.
SMSU's second game today against Trevecca Nazarene has been postponed due to time constraints and a shortage of umpires and will be made up at some point during the tournament.
The Mustangs will be back in action tomorrow morning, taking on Bloomfield (N.J.) at 8 a.m. CT
