LAKELAND, Fla. – The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team split a pair of games on Thursday, falling 10-8 in game one and winning 10-2 in game two of a doubleheader versus Florida Southern at Chris Bellotto Field on the campus of Florida Southern College.
SMSU is now 5-10 on the year.
Karlie Miller (3-5) was handed the loss in game one, allowing 10 runs (two earned) on nine hits and three walks while striking out two.
The Mustangs got off to a hot start in the first.
Abby Russell knocked a sac fly to left field to advance
Riley Kramolisch to second before
Jillian Noel ripped a ball back into left-center to plate Kramolisch and give SMSU the early 1-0 lead.
Miller retired the side in order and the Mustang bats got back to work in the top half of the second inning.
Brynn Webber beat out a grounder to second then advanced on a wild pitch to find herself in scoring position.
Abby Boxrud singled up the middle to move Webber to third and stole second in the following at-bat. With two runners in scoring position, Kramolisch roped a liner to left field to plate both Webber and Boxrud.
Florida Southern countered with authority in the bottom half of the inning, plating nine runs on seven hits and three critical Mustang errors. After a pair of fielding errors loaded the bases for the Mocs, Miller walked a run home. Kelsey Kadlub belted a ball to the warning track in left-center field that scored two more runs for the Mocs and kept two runners in scoring position.
The Mocs scored six more runs in the bottom of the second to take a commanding 10-2 lead. The next FSC run came in the fourth inning when Kate Mikle sacrificed herself in a rundown to move the runner home from third.
The Mustang bats came alive in the fifth inning, with
Abby Russell doubling down the left-field line to kick off the rally. Noel advanced Russell to third on a single before
Grace Anderson singled to center to push the run across the plate. Webber doubled to left-center in the following at-bat to score Noel and Anderson and cut the deficit to four runs. Later in the inning, Boxrud drove in Webber on a single before
Riley Kramolisch drew a walk to plate the final Mustang run.
Cat Buckner (1) entered for the Mocs and held the Mustangs to one hit in the final two innings to earn the save. Amanda Lieberman (3-1) earned the win, allowing five runs on seven hits and a walk in 2 2/3 innings.
The Mustangs racked up 13 hits in the loss, with
Riley Kramolisch leading the way going 2 for 3 at the plate with three RBIs.
Brynn Webber knocked two hits and tallied a pair of RBIs as well.
Game two was a completely different story for the Mustangs.
Morgyn Otte (2-3) pitched a spectacular game against the Mocs in game two, allowing just two runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out three. The Mocs sent four pitchers to the circle including all three pitchers from the opening game who saw action in relief. The starter for game two was Ashley Blessin, who suffered the loss to move to 4-5 on the year. She pitched 3.0 innings while walking one and allowing four runs, but only one was earned.
Like game one, the Mustangs tallied a run in the top of the first inning to jump out to an early lead. With the bases loaded,
Jillian Noel singled through the right side to plate Kramolisch. Otte retired the side in order in the bottom half of the inning to bridge the Mustangs' momentum into the following inning.
Boxrud reached first on an error and was moved to second on a sac bunt from
Emma Humpal. Boxrud proceeded to third on a Kramolisch groundout before scoring on a
Mikayla Berge single, pushing the margin to two runs. Berge stole second and scored on the following play when
Abby Russell sent the ball back to the pitcher, reaching first in the process.
The Mustangs plated another run in the third on a double steal to push the lead to 4-0. In the bottom half of the inning, the Mocs pushed across their first run by sending the runner on third home during a rundown between second and first base.
SMSU had an explosive fourth inning, tallying five runs on four hits and an error.
Molly Bull got the Mustangs going with a single to left field that scored Russell and Berge, then advanced to second on the throw.
Morgyn Otte helped her case in the circle on the offensive end as well with a single to right field that scored Bull from second.
SMSU kept its feet on the gas, plating two more runs in the inning to push the lead to 9-1. The Mocs added a run in the bottom of the fifth to avoid the run-rule loss but were stumped in the bottom of the sixth by Otte to close the game.
SMSU tallied 13 hits in game two.
Abby Russell paved the way going 3 for 5 at the dish with one RBI.
Mikayla Berge went 2 for 3 at the plate with three RBIs. The freshman also drew two walks.
Jillian Noel and
Abby Boxrud also collected a pair of hits.
The Mustangs have an off day tomorrow but return to doubleheader play on Saturday, taking on the No. 4-ranked University of Tampa Spartans in a doubleheader that starts at 12 p.m. CST.
