MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State softball team (16-23 overall, 8-8 NSIC) would win a walk-off thriller 5-4 in extra innings before losing 6-1 in a Thursday afternoon doubleheader split against Concordia-St. Paul (26-11-1, 9-9) at Mustang Field.
After
Morgyn Otte (1-5) would recover from a one out single and walk in the top of the eighth inning,
Molly Bull would lead off the bottom of the inning with a four-pitch walk, get to second on a wild pitch, and would score on a
Lileya Kebos single up the middle to give SMSU the game one victory.
The Mustangs and Golden Bears would record seven hits apiece, but three CSP errors would prove costly. Bull would lead the offense, going 2 for 2 with a walk, RBI, and two runs scored.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Kebos would get SMSU on the board with a sacrifice fly, scoring Bull and cutting the deficit in half at 2-1.
SMSU would take the lead in the third, with
Jillian Noel scoring
Emily Tatur on a double before a
Molly Bull single to score Noel and go up 3-2.
The Mustangs would tack on another run in the fourth, with
Abby Russell delivering an RBI single to centerfield, scoring
Paige Shwaluk and taking a 4-2 lead.
CSP would record a pair of sacrifice flies in the sixth inning, but wouldn't get another run across.
Otte would have a stellar day in relief, giving up two hits and a walk while keeping CSP off the board in three innings of work.
Shelby Bloemendaal would receive a no decision, going 5+ innings, giving up four runs (all earned) on five hits and a walk. Bloemendaal would leave the game with the bases loaded and no outs in the sixth.
CSP would hold a 1-0 lead into the sixth inning of game two before exploding for five runs in the sixth inning to help them to victory.
Karlie Miller (6-11) would be dealt the loss, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs (all earned) on seven hits, and five walks while striking out five.
Allison Christians would throw the final 1 1/3 innings, giving up a run on two hits and three walks.
The Mustangs would have five hits from five different players, while CSP would have four of their nine hits go for extra bases in the win.
The Mustangs travel to Duluth for a doubleheader with UMD on Saturday starting at 1 p.m.
