MANKATO, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State softball team (11-20 overall, 3-5 NSIC) would take No. 18 Minnesota State (24-8, 6-2) down to the wire, falling 2-1 in game one before dropping game two 5-2 as the home team inside the MSU Dome.
MSU would strike early in game one, with the first four batters reaching base to take a 1-0 lead while loading the bases. Bloemendaal would bear down, striking out a pair before a diving play by Mckenna Waldow to limit the damage.
Abby Russell would open the bottom of the first inning with a triple, but the Mavericks would shut the Mustang offense down and work around it to keep the lead.
Bloemendaal would build off the first inning, retiring 14 of 15 batters in all, but the SMSU offense would continue to be stifled, not reaching base again until an error to lead off the bottom of the fourth.
In that fourth inning, the Mustangs would break through, with
Emily Tatur reaching on the error and
Jillian Noel singling to left before a two-out single up the middle by
Lileya Kebos to tie the game at 1 apiece.
After the first two Mavericks would be set down to open the fifth inning, the MSU offense would come alive, picking up a base hit and a walk before an RBI single up the middle to reclaim the lead at 2-1.
Mackenzie Ward would be masterful on the mound, going all seven innings, giving up an earned run on three hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts, retiring 10 straight hitters to close the game.
Shelby Bloemendaal (6-6) would be dealt the loss, going six innings, giving up a pair of earned runs on six hits and two walks while tying a career-high with seven strikeouts.
Morgyn Otte would be summoned to the circle in the seventh, giving up a pair of runners in scoring position before sending down three in a row to work out of the jam.
MSU would open the scoring in game two with three unearned runs in the third inning, taking a 3-0 advantage.
Bailey Johnson would respond in the bottom of the inning, sending a two-run home run over the right field fence, scoring Russell and trimming the SMSU deficit to one at 3-2.
Karlie Miller (4-9) would recover from the three runs, sending down eight straight hitters through the fifth inning to keep the Maverick offense in check before an RBI single with one out in the sixth and a one out RBI single in the seventh to take a 5-2 lead.
The Mustangs would strike in the seventh when Russell would send a drive into left center, scoring
Paige Shwaluk and cutting the lead to 5-3, but the comeback would fall just short.
Miller would finish the day going seven innings, giving up five runs (two earned) on five hits and six walks while striking out eight.
SMSU would outhit MSU 8-5 in game two, as Shwaluk and
Abby Russell would lead the way with a pair of hits.
The Mustangs will be back in Marshall this weekend, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 9 against Northern State, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
