MOORHEAD, MINN. - In their first conference games of the season, the Southwest Minnesota State softball team (16-12) began the conference campaign in style Friday evening, defeating the Minnesota State Moorhead Dragons (2-23) twice, 7-3 in game one, and 6-1 in game two.
GAME ONE
Ramsey Hopp (5-8) pitched 6 1/3 innings allowing three runs (all earned) on eight hits with one strikeout. Jordyn Marsh pitched 2/3 innings in the seventh to seal the game for the Mustangs.
Seven Mustang batters recorded hits in the game, with Riley Kramolisch and Kennah Bretschneider leading the way with two hits each. Paris Van Dyke and Aliza Acker each had two RBIs.
Morgan Alar opened the scoring for the Mustangs in the fourth inning.
SMSU kicked the door open in the fifth, scoring five runs in the inning. Bretschneider scored the second run on a wild pitch, before Van Dyke slammed a 2-RBI double into left center. Acker scored off a little-league home run traveling around all the bases courtesy of two errors by MSUM.
Riley Kramolisch's second hit of the day in the sixth inning marked career hit number 200, becoming the eighth player in SMSU softball history to reach that milestone.
Emma Humpal hit her third home run of the season in the seventh, giving SMSU a 7-0 lead into the last half inning.
The Dragons would add three runs courtesy of a bases-clearing double by Sami Macchiarolli, prompting the Mustangs to send Marsh out to the mound in efforts to end the game.
Brynna Farman (0-7) pitched all seven innings for the Dragons, allowing four earned runs on nine hits striking out four Mustang batters. Macchiarolli and Riley McKeever both led MSUM with two hits.
GAME TWO
Jordyn Marsh (11-3) pitched all seven innings allowing one run (unearned) on nine hits, striking out five Dragon batters.
Six different Mustangs had one hit in the game, with Aliza Acker leading the way with three RBIs. Paris Van Dyke had two runs and an RBI, while Emma Humpal and Marsh provided the other RBIs for SMSU.
The scoring began in the fifth inning for the Mustangs with Van Dyke scoring on an error by MSUM, which was followed by Jordyn Marsh putting a base hit into left field, allowing Humpal to score the second run of the game.
Van Dyke reached on another Dragons error which allowed Carley Stych to score the third run of the game, before Acker hit her second home run of the year, a three-run shot, to give SMSU a 6-0 lead after six innings.
Riley McKeever would score the lone run for MSUM in the bottom of the sixth which would be the final run of the game.
MSUM's Bella Hess (0-3) pitched six innings for the Dragons allowing four runs (all unearned) on six hits and three walks, striking out one Mustang batter. Alyssa Ochoa and Caitlin Kelley combined for the other inning, allowing two runs (both unearned). McKeever, Sami Macchiaroli, and Morgan Kingsbury each had two hits in the game for MSUM.
The Mustangs remain in Moorhead tomorrow, facing the Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles in a double-header, beginning at 10 a.m.
