ST. PAUL, Minn. – After falling 4-1 to open the day, the Southwest Minnesota State University softball team (12-25 overall, 7-11 NSIC) used late game heroics to earn a 6-5 win in nine innings against Concordia-St. Paul (20-23, 6-12) on Tuesday afternoon at Carlander Field.
Abby Russell belted a full count, two-out, two run home run to left center in the top of the ninth inning to give the Mustangs a 6-4 lead, with her run being the difference in the game two victory.
After neither team could find the scoreboard for three innings, SMSU punched first, as
Paige Ahrendt singled through the left side with the bases loaded to score
Jillian Noel.
Karlie Miller followed that up with a sacrifice fly to center, deep enough to score
Molly Bull and give the Mustangs a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Golden Bears countered with four runs on five hits to take a 4-2 advantage.
The Mustangs chipped away in the sixth, as Bull and
Katie Palmer traded doubles to cut the CSP lead in half at 4-3.
Down to their final three outs in the seventh, SMSU produced the tying run. After a leadoff single from
Makenna Waldowand sac bunt from
Riley Kramolisch,
Shelby Bloemendaal delivered the big hit, singling through the left side, moving Waldow to third before a bobble from the left fielder allowed her to score and make it 4-4.
CSP looked to walk it off in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases with two outs, but
Allison Christians fended off the rally with a strikeout on a full count to send the game to extra innings.
After neither team found success offensively in the eighth, The Mustangs came up huge in the ninth, as a one-out Kramolisch single gave the Mustangs life before the Russell home run put SMSU up 6-4.
CSP went on to hit a solo home run in the bottom of the inning, but Christians slammed the door with a strikeout and flyout to win.
In total, Christians (5-3) threw 5 2/3 innings in relief, allowing an earned run on four hits and two walks while striking out three. Miller started the game in the circle, allowing four earned runs on four hits and a walk while striking out one in 3 1/3 innings.
The Mustangs scattered 11 hits in game two, with Kramolisch, Russell, and Noel all picking up a pair.
In game one, the Golden Bears scored runs in the second and fifth inning to take a 2-0 lead.
The Mustangs cut that lead in half in the sixth as Bloemendaal drove home Waldow with an RBI single to make it 2-1.
CSP ended any hopes of a rally in the bottom of the inning, lifting a two-out, two run home run to bring the game to its final score.
Bloemendaal (2-6) was dealt the loss, allowing four runs, all earned, on five hits and a walk while striking out two in six innings.
The offense had five hits in game one, with five different players recording one.
SMSU now gets much needed time off, returning to the field Saturday, Apr. 22 at home for Alumni Day against St. Cloud State.
