MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State softball team (18-29 overall, 10-14 NSIC) kept the bats hot from the day before, winning game one 11-6 before a well-rounded 5-2 win in game two against Minnesota Crookston (15-38, 6-22) on Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
The game was tied 3-3 in the bottom of the first inning with nobody out,
Molly Bull on first base,
Jillian Noel on second base, and a 3-1 count to
Lileya Kebos when play was suspended due to rain on Saturday. The Mustangs opened the bottom of the first inning with five straight singles, as
Abby Russell,
Emily Tatur,
Bailey Johnson (RBI), Noel (RBI) and Bull (RBI) began an offensive rampage in the rain.
When play resumed on Sunday, the bats stayed hot, with a
Makenna Waldow sacrifice fly,
Shelby Bloemendaal RBI single, and Russell two-run triple adding four more runs and giving SMSU a 7-3 lead though the first inning.
UMC responded for three runs in the second, and the 7-6 score held until the fifth inning.
The Mustangs strung together four runs in the fifth, starting with a safety squeeze by Bloemendaal to score Kebos. After a two-out error to fill the bases, Johnson cracked the game wide open, clearing the bases with a triple to take an 11-6 lead.
Shelby Bloemendaal (9-9) silenced the Golden Eagle bats after a rough start, giving up just two hits in the final five innings to pick up the victory. Bloemendaal allowed six runs (all earned) on nine hits and four walks while striking out four.
SMSU closed the game with 11 hits, with
Abby Russell going 3-4 with two RBIs and Johnson going 2 for 4 with four RBIs to power the offense.
UMC took a 2-0 lead into third before the Mustangs would tie it up. After a two-out error to help Tatur reach first base, Johnson sent a blast onto the hill in right field to tie the game at 2-2.
After a Bloemendaal infield single to lead off the fifth inning, Russell reached after a throwing error on an attempt to get Bloemendaal at second. Bloemendaal wheeled around to score, while Russell got to second, giving SMSU a 3-2 lead.
After a one-out walk to Johnson, Noel extended the lead with a two-run triple, making it 5-2 in favor of the Mustangs.
The score would hold as the final, as
Karlie Miller (7-14) would cruise through the final six innings after allowing the two early runs. She finished with a complete game, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits and six walks while striking out four.
Patia Wolfe led an offense that mustered seven hits, going 3 for 3 with a double, while Johnson would score twice and drive in two and Noel went 1 for 3 with a pair of RBIs
The Mustangs conclude the regular season on Monday, hosting Bemidji State on Mattke Field at the Schwan Regional Event Center.
