CLERMONT, Fla. – The Southwest Minnesota State softball team proved it could win in different ways, earning a 2-1 come from behind victory against the Millersville Marauders before a 7-3 win over the Pittsburgh-Johnstown Mountain Cats on Thursday afternoon at Legends Way.
The Marauders struck first in the first game, stringing together a single and double with one out in the first inning before a groundout opened the scoring at 1-0.
Shelby Bloemendaal was stingy in the circle for SMSU, keeping the Mustangs in the game by leaving runners in scoring position in each of the first five innings to keep the score 1-0 into the sixth.
Riley Kramolisch got the ball rolling in the top of the sixth inning, leading off with a single before a Bloemendaal sac bunt was thrown away, allowing both to get into scoring position with no outs.
With one out, SMSU broke the shutout.
Molly Bull sent a ground ball to the shortstop's left, forcing a tough play up the middle. The play came home, but the ball skipped past the catcher and to the backstop, allowing both Kramolisch and Bloemendaal to score and give the Mustangs a 2-1 lead.
After stranding a pair of runners in the bottom of the sixth, Bloemendaal put the Marauders to rest, sending them down in order to clinch the victory.
Bloemendaal (1-3) ended the day throwing seven innings and allowing just the one run on eight hits and a walk while striking out five.
Katie Palmer went 2 for 2 with a walk, while Kramolisch,
Abby Boxrud, and
Paige Ahrendt each tallied a hit.
SMSU wasted little time finding the scoreboard in game two. With two outs in the first inning, Bloemendaal drove a line drive over the centerfielder for a double before
Jillian Noel sent her first home run of the season, a two-run shot, over the left field fence to go ahead 2-0.
The Mustangs piled the runs on in the third inning, opening with singles from Kramolisch, Bloemendaal, Noel, and Bull to load the bases and grow its lead to 3-0.
Boxrud followed those up with a ground ball back to the pitcher, who threw the ball away to score two more runs. An Ahrendt sac fly added another, and Palmer reached on an error the next at bat to put the Mustangs ahead 7-0.
UPJ wouldn't get a tally until a three-run home run in the seventh, but it wouldn't be enough in the end.
Christians (2-1) battled out of plenty of holes, throwing a complete game and allowing three runs, all earned, on eight hits and five walks while striking out six.
Noel had her third career four hit game, going 4-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Bloemendaal and Bull each collected a pair of hits, while Kramolisch and Waldow added a hit each.
The Mustangs return to action early Friday, facing off against Truman State at 9 a.m. ET, and Trevecca Nazarene at 11:30 a.m. ET, at Sleepy Hollow in Leesburg, Fla.
