SMSU SOFTBALL: Mustangs drop final two regular season games but advance to NSIC Tournament
Trending
ST. CLOUD - The Southwest Minnesota State softball team closed out the regular season on Sunday losing a pair of games to regionally-ranked St. Cloud State at Selke Field. SMSU dropped Game 1 by a score of 7-2, before losing a heart-breaking 4-2 walk-off loss in Game 2.
Despite the two losses, SMSU has secured a spot in the upcoming Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament set for May 2-4 at the RYFSA Complex in Rochester. The Mustangs will be making their fifth straight NSIC Tournament appearance. SMSU earned the No. 9 seed and will face No. 8 Upper Iowa University on Thursday at 10 a.m.
After earning a big split on Saturday at Minnesota Duluth, which is ranked No. 7 in this week’s NCAA Central Region poll, the Mustangs faced another test on Sunday versus the No. 9 ranked Huskies.
In the opener on Sunday, the teams were tied 2-2 in the fifth inning, but SCSU pulled away for the win behind a two-run home run in the fifth and a three-run homer in the sixth.
SMSU, which finished the regular season with a record of 18-24 overall, 13-17 NSIC, opened the scoring in the top of the first as Emma Grote singled, moved to second on a sac bunt by Kaylee Hentges and eventually scored on an Abbie Decker RBI single.
SCSU (40-14, 22-8 NSIC) would hold a 2-1 lead after four innings of play, but SMSU would rally to tie the game in the fifth behind a two-out rally. Following a ground out and a strikeout, Kali Tomlinson singled, moved to third on a double by Decker and would eventually score as Alex Reak reached on a fielding error by the SCSU second baseman.
The Huskies, which finished with a 14-7 hit advantage, the used the two home runs to secure the victory.
Decker had big opening game finishing 3 for 3 with an RBI while Grote, Hentges, Tomlinson and Reak each finished with one hit.
Athena Golling (10-11) fired all six innings in the circle for the Mustangs recording four strikeouts with no walks.
In Game 2, the Mustangs once again got on the board in the opening frame as Tomlinson belted a two-run homer to stake SMSU to a 2-0 advantage. It was Tomlinson’s team-leading sixth homer of the season and the 13th in her career moving into tie for eighth in team history.
SCSU would tie the game with a pair of runs in the third and the game would remain tied until extra innings. Following a two-out double, Morgan Emmans cracked a two-run homer over the centerfield fence to give the Huskies the walk-off victory.
Megan Cull (5-9) suffered the loss for SMSU tossing the complete game giving up four runs (two earned) while allowing six hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
Tomlinson led SMSU’s seven-hit offense in game two going 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Saturday
SMSU 3, UMD 1
UMD 2, SMSU 1
DULUTH – The Southwest Minnesota State softball team (18-22, 13-15 NSIC) split with the seventh regionally-ranked, Minnesota Duluth (29-18, 20-8 NSIC) on Saturday afternoon.
The Mustangs took Game 1 with a 3-1 victory and dropped the second game as the Bulldogs put up two runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 2-1 final.
Game 1
The Bulldogs scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the second after starting the inning with a single up the middle.
The runner was advanced on sac bunt and then stole home to go on the board.
The Mustangs responded in the top of the fourth as Bailey Johnson went to first on a hit by pitch. Kali Tomlinson followed in the order to single up the middle to advance Johnson. A groundout and a sac fly would then bring Johnson in for a one-run inning to tie the game.
SMSU advanced the lead in the top of both the sixth and seventh with one-run innings as Tomlinson ripped a solo homer to center field in the sixth. In the top of the seventh, Sara DeSmet singled to start the inning. DeSmet was eventually brought in by fielder’s choice to finish the top with a 3-1 lead to take game one.
SMSU’s Athena Golling tossed all seven innings with two strikeouts. Tomlinson led the Mustangs offensively with two hits, one run, and one RBI.
Game 2
Game 2 was locked at 0s until the Mustangs put up the first run in the top of the fifth.
Tomlinson doubled to left to score Johnson for the first run of the game.
With a 1-0 lead, Johnson stepped to the plate to start the top of the seventh with a double to left center. She then advanced to third on a passed ball and was brought in by a sac fly from Tomlinson to advance lead to 2-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
The Bulldogs had a loud bottom of the seventh to get exactly the runs they needed to send the game into extra innings.
SMSU committed a fielding error which would advance the runner to second before an RBI-single would score both runs to head to the eighth.
In the top of the eighth, Madison Krog walked to the start the inning before the next three Mustang batters were held up at the plate.
Megan Cull came in to throw the last half to strike the first batter out. Cull and the Mustangs retired the next batter with a pop up to the pitcher before the Bulldogs put the ball to left center for a double, followed by a single to center field for the walk-off victory.
SMSU’s Johnson went 3-of-4 at the plate with two runs.
Content courtesy
of SMSU Athletic
Communications