CROOKSTON, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State softball team (17-32 overall, 12-18 NSIC) saw its season come to a close on Sunday, losing 6-5 and 12-4 in five innings to Minnesota Crookston (18-32, 6-19) at the UMC Softball Field.
The Mustangs opened the day with ambition, seeing three of the first four batters of the first inning of game one reach base, capped by a
Jillian Noel RBI single to take a 1-0 lead.
UMC countered with one in the bottom of the inning and two in the second to take a 3-1 lead into the third.
Shelby Bloemendaal opened the top of the third inning with a base hit to left and advanced to second on a groundout from
Abby Russell.
On the next pitch, Noel came through again, bouncing a single up the middle to bring in Bloemendaal and bringing SMSU within 3-2.
That score held until the fifth, when the Golden Eagles smashed a two-out, two-run home run to take a 5-2 lead into the sixth.
After a leadoff popout in the sixth, the Mustangs attacked.
Abby Boxrud singled,
Makenna Waldow doubled, and
Riley Kramolisch doubled them both home to bring the Mustangs back to within one at 5-4.
After a UMC pitching change,
Shelby Bloemendaal and
Abby Russell each drew walks to load the bases. Noel was able to lift a fly ball to right, deep enough to score Kramolisch and tie the game at 5-5.
After the teams traded scoreless half innings, the Golden Eagles prevailed in the seventh, reaching on a HBP, moving. To second on a sac bunt, and scoring on an RBI single with the top of their order to win the game.
SMSU had 11 hits in game one, with Kramolisch, Bloemendaal, Noel, and Boxrud each getting two apiece. Noel led the way with three RBI, while Kramolisch knocked in and scored a pair.
Shelby Bloemendaal started in the circle, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out one in over an inning of work, facing two batters without getting one out in the second.
Morgyn Otte (1-8) entered early and allowed three earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out four in the final 5 1/3 innings.
The Golden Eagles shot out of a cannon to open game two, scoring seven runs in the first inning to take control.
Noel got the Mustangs on the board in the second with a solo home run, but UMC countered in the bottom of the inning with a solo home run of their own.
In the third, SMSU showed fight, as a Kramolisch RBI single, Russell RBI single, and Noel sac fly brought them within 8-4, but the Golden Eagles scored the final four runs to complete the shortened game two.
Karlie Miller (7-12) allowed seven runs (six earned) on three hits and three walks in 1/3 of an inning.
Allison Christians threw the final 3 2/3, giving up five earned runs on seven hits and two walks while tallying a strikeout.
Russell recorded two of six SMSU hits in game two, while Noel drove in a pair of runs.
