ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Golden Bears piled on 10 runs in the first inning and never looked back to claim a 13-3 win in five innings in game one, but the Mustang bats got hot in game two to win 5-1 and salvage a split in an NSIC softball doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The series was played at Carlander Field in St. Paul, Minn.
SMSU, which tallied 19 hits today, moves to 19-28 on the season and 10-14 in conference play. CSP adds another win to improve to 35-9 on the year and 17-3 in the NSIC.
The Golden Bears unleashed an offensive onslaught in the first inning, driving in 10 runs on eight hits–three of which were extra-base hits–and a pair of walks. Alexis Monty got CSP going with a single up the middle before scoring on a double to left field. A walk in the following at-bat put two runners on base before back-to-back singles plated two more runs. Two more singles, a double, and a three-run home run added six more runs for the Golden Bears in the first inning.
SMSU scored its only runs of the game in the second inning. With two runners on base and one out,
Paris Van Dyke was first pitch swinging and belted an opposite-field home run to plate three and cut the deficit to seven runs. The homer was Van Dyke's first of her collegiate career.
The Golden Bears piled on three more runs in game one, tallying one in the second, one in the third, and their last run in the fourth. CSP held the Mustangs scoreless through the fifth inning to capture the run-rule win.
Morgyn Otte (8-11) was tabbed with the loss after allowing 11 runs on 10 hits and three walks in two innings pitched.
Jordan Bussey entered in relief in the third inning, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks, while striking out four.
Game two began differently for the Mustangs, as they flipped the tables and were the first to score.
Back-to-back doubles from
Abby Russell and
Jillian Noel scored the first SMSU run in four innings to give the Mustangs the 1-0 advantage.
Emma Humpal singled up the middle to put runners on the corners before a fielder's choice scored Noel from third.
The Golden Bears were retired in order in the bottom of the first and the Mustang bats got right back to work in the top of the second.
Grace Anderson and
Brynn Webber kicked off the inning with back-to-back singles before
Paris Van Dyke shifted them into scoring position on a sac bunt.
Riley Kramolisch came through with an RBI single to left-center before
Abby Russell singled to right field to plate another run and push the lead to 4-0.
CSP used a double and single in back-to-back at-bats to score a run in the bottom of the second but SMSU countered again with a run in the top of the fourth inning.
Brynn Webber led off with a single up the middle and moved to second on a sac bunt from Van Dyke before Kramolisch singled to put two runners on base.
Abby Russell came through with another big hit again, this time to right field, to plate Webber and give SMSU the 5-1 lead.
Karlie Miller (11-15) earned the win in game two after holding CSP to just one run on five hits and four walks in a complete game performance.
SMSU continues play on the road tomorrow with a series versus Winona State, with first pitch set for 1 p.m.
