SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team dropped a heartbreaker to the Wayne State College Wildcats, 4-3, in the first round of the NSIC tournament played at Bowden Field on Wednesday afternoon.

SMSU, the No. 9 seed, finishes the season with a 29-26 mark. WSC (31-23), the No. 8 seed, moves on to the quarterfinals.

Both teams went scoreless to open the game before three runs crossed the plate in the second inning.

In the top of the second, Grace Anderson led off with a home run to right field, the second of her career, to give SMSU an early lead.

The Wildcats would respond in the bottom half of the inning using an error to spark a two-out rally. A double in the following at bat put two runners in scoring position, which would score on another untimely Mustang error. WSC would take a 2-1 lead after two.

An uneventful third led to a second run for the Mustangs in the top of the fourth, with a two-out rally of their own to tie the game off a Kaylee Hafermann single.

The Mustangs added another run in the fifth off a sac fly from Paris Van Dyke, moving to a one-run advantage.

WSC put a pair of runners on base with no outs in the fifth to force a SMSU pitching change. Jordyn Marsh entered for Miller and retired the Wildcats with a strikeout and double play in quick succession to eliminate the threat.

SMSU threatened in the top half of the seventh by putting a pair of runners on base before a groundout closed the inning and halted the score at 3-2.

Wayne State started its comeback with a scorching lead off double down the left field line from Emilee Marth. A second line drive was zipped towards third base for another hit to put runners on the corners before a deep infield single plated both runners and walked-off the game.

Jordyn Marsh (6-4) was given the loss after surrendering the final pair of WSC runs. She would give up three hits and record one strikeout. Karlie Miller, the SMSU starter, gave up two unearned runs on three hits while striking out four. 

SMSU closed the game with four hits, with Kaylee Hafermann going 2 for 3 with an RBI. 

Abby Russell, finishing the game with six assists, becomes the SMSU softball all-time leader in assists with 462.

It is the final game for the four SMSU seniors, Abby Boxrud, Karlie Miller, Morgyn Otte, and Abby Russell.