WEST ST. PAUL – Southwest Minnesota State was unable to match the offensive production from the Minnesota Duluth dugout as UMD came away with a pair of nonconference wins (Game 1: 10-2; Game 2: 10-1) over SMSU on Monday in the West St. Paul Dome.

Game 1

UMD 10, SMSU 2

Southwest Minnesota State’s pitchers struggled to quiet the Minnesota Duluth bats as UMD came away with a 10-2 win by run rule in six innings on Monday morning in the season opener for both teams in the West St. Paul Dome.

Bailey Johnson started at third base and went 2 for 2 in her first career game with a double in her first ever college at bat. Kali Tomlinson went 2 for 3 with one RBI for the Mustangs and Madison Krog had a SAC fly for her first RBI of the season.

Athena Golling started in the circle for SMSU, throwing five full innings with three earned runs charged to her name after surrendering five hits and five walks.

Megan Cull pitched 2/3 of the sixth inning before the Bulldogs pushed their lead to eight, ending the game.

SMSU held UMD to just one run off of two hits in the second through fifth innings, but gave up a big seven-run, bottom of the first and two runs on three hits in the bottom half of the sixth.

Valerie Hohol gave up just one earned run from the circle for UMD to pick up her first win of the season.

Game 2

UMD 10, SMSU 1

Long innings on defense doomed SMSU again as Southwest Minnesota State dropped game two of Monday’s doubleheader against Minnesota Duluth, 10-1.

Emma Grote, Bailey Johnson, and Madison Krog each went 1 for 2 in the second leg, but were the only Mustangs to record hits as Breanna Swint gave up just one earned run in five innings from the circle for UMD.

Shelby Crank took the loss from the circle for SMSU after pitching 2 and 2/3 innings while Megan Cull pitched 2 and 1/3 innings in relief duty.

SMSU grabbed an early 1-0 lead as Madysson Schliinz led off the bottom of the first with a walk and later came around to score off of a single from Madison Krog.

The Mustangs’ lead was short lived however, as Sammi Sadler helped push across a pair of runs with a two-out double to give Minnesota Duluth a 2-1 lead.

SMSU surrendered five hits and had a pair of errors in the top half of the third inning which resulted in six runs for Minnesota Duluth, which pushed its lead to 8-1 going into the bottom half of the third.

The SMSU bats remained quiet and Minnesota Duluth added two more in the top of the fifth to help secure a second straight win by run-rule. Emma Grote doubled in the Mustangs fifth-inning attempt to extend the game, but was thrown out trying to advance to third and Johnson struck out to conclude the doubleheader.

SMSU will have 17 days to prepare for its next game as it returns to action in the Dragon-Beaver Bash back in the West St. Paul Dome on Feb. 22-23. The Mustangs open the West St. Paul Dome Tournament against MSU Moorhead on Feb. 22 beginning at 12 p.m.

Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

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