ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Shelby Crank tossed a four-hit shutout, her first career seven-inning shutout, to help Southwest Minnesota State earn a 1-0 victory and salvage a split with Eckerd College (Fla.) on Sunday afternoon at Turley Complex. The Tritons won game one of the doubleheader 9-1 in five innings.

Crank (3-1), who tossed a five-inning shutout last season versus MSU Moorhead, recorded two strikeouts and didn’t issue a walk on Sunday, while tossing just 72 pitches with 51 for strikes.

SMSU (4-4) pushed across the game’s lone run in the third inning as Kaylee Hentges worked a lead-off walk. Following a pair of ground outs, Abbie Decker delivered an RBI double down the left field line to score Madysson Schliinz.

The Mustangs finished the game with five hits as Schliinz, Hentges, Emma Grote and Madison Krog also each recorded a hit to help end the Tritons’ four-game winning streak.

In game one, Eckerd (7-11) jumped on the board with four runs in the first and added three more in the second to cruise to the victory. The Tritons ended the game with 12 hits.

SMSU scored its lone run of the game in the fourth inning as Decker double to start the frame and later came around to score on a bunt single by Grote. Kali Tomlinson, Krog and Hentges also collected hits for the Mustangs.

Athena Golling (1-2) suffered the loss in the circle as she pitched four-plus innings allowing seven runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and three walks.

The two teams will conclude the series today with a single-game starting at 5 p.m. CST.

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