SIOUX CITY, Iowa – The Southwest Minnesota State softball team (6-21 overall, 1-7 NSIC) fell 8-7 in eight innings before dropping a 3-1 contest to MSU Moorhead (19-7, 7-1) on Friday night at Hubbard Park, the relocated site of MSUM's home games.
The Mustangs applied pressure in the early going of game one, loading the bases with one out in the first before an RBI single from
Molly Bull scored
Riley Kramolisch. SMSU tacked on another, capitalizing on an error to score
Jillian Noel and take a 2-0 lead.
The Dragons battled back in the bottom of the frame, scoring on an RBI single to cut the Mustangs' lead in half.
SMSU struck again in the third, as
Paige Ahrendt brought home Noel on a two-out RBI single to reclaim a two-run lead, this time at 3-1.
The bats quieted, with the 3-1 score holding until the sixth inning. The Dragons scored a pair in the bottom of the inning, including the tying run on a throwing error, to tie the game at 3-3.
After Kramolisch and
Shelby Bloemendaal opened up the seventh with walks, both advancing on a wild pitch to put a pair of runners in scoring position,
Abby Russell hit what felt like the difference, doubling to centerfield, scoring both and giving the Mustangs a 5-3 lead.
Noel followed with an RBI double of her own, and
Abby Boxrud singled with one out to score Noel to take a 7-3 lead.
A strikeout to open the bottom of the seventh gave SMSU all momentum, but the Dragons would not rest. A single, HBP, RBI double, and walk loaded the bases with a run in, and, with two outs, a bases-clearing double evened the score at 7-7.
It didn't look as though the Dragons were done, picking up a single and walk to load the bases.
Allison Christians would enter the game, denying any more damage with a huge strikeout to send the game to extras.
The Mustangs got runners on the corners in the top of the eighth inning to try and reclaim the lead, but a groundout, walk, and strikeout left the bases loaded and sent the game to the bottom half, where the Dragons scored on a pair of walks and a pair of singles with one out for the walk-off winner.
SMSU had 10 hits in game one, with Noel and Ahrendt each collecting a pair.
Bloemendaal was issued a no decision, spinning five innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits and a walk while striking out two. Christians (2-3) earned the loss, giving up an earned run on two hits and two walks.
MSUM scored a run in the second and third to take a 2-0 lead in game two.
With two outs in the fourth, SMSU rallied, stringing together singles from Bull, Boxrud, and Ahrendt to cut the deficit in half.
The Dragons got the run back in the fifth, and that would end the scoring in the game.
SMSU scattered eight hits in game two, as Ahrendt continued her big day with three hits.
Karlie Miller allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and four walks while striking out three in the loss.
The Mustangs look to get back on track Saturday, taking on Northern State in Sioux Center, Iowa on the campus of Dordt University starting at noon.
