Photo courtesy of Kristen Grote SMSU’s Bailey Johnson swings at a pitch during their game against St. Cloud State University on Friday in the NSIC Tournament.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The 10th seeded Southwest Minnesota State softball team continued its strong run in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament earning a 5-2 victory over eight-seed Concordia-St. Paul in an elimination game at Sherman Park.

SMSU, which defeated fourth-seed St. Cloud State earlier on Friday, is one of four teams remaining in the tournament. SMSU will face No. 2 seed Augustana today with first pitch at 10 a.m. at Augustana’s Bowden Field.

SMSU’s three victories in the tournament have come against teams ranked among the top 10 in this week’s region rankings and all three have won 30 or more games this season.

The Mustangs jumped on the board in the first frame as Kali Tomlinson belted a two-run homer.

SMSU (18-25) made the score 3-0 in the second as Sara DeSmet came through with a clutch two-out RBI single to score Kaylee Hentges.

Bailey Johnson pushed the SMSU lead to 4-0 in the third with an RBI double to score Abbie Decker, who started the inning with a double. Johnson would score moments later on a fielding error by CSP to extend the lead to 5-0.

CSP (30-24), which is ranked 10th in this week’s NCAA Central Region rankings, scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to cut the lead to 5-2. The Golden Bears cut the deficit to 5-2 in the fifth and had the bases loaded with one out, but SMSU starting pitcher Shelby Crank recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.

Megan Cull came on in relief and shut down the Golden Bears in the final two frames to record her first save of the season.

Crank (6-7) picked up her first win since April 6, tossing five innings and allowing two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts and three walks.

SMSU, which finished with eight hits, was led by Tomlinson and Emma Grote, who both finished 2 for 4.

SMSU and Augustana will be meeting for the third time this season with the Vikings winning both games, 11-1 and 3-2.

SMSU 8, SCSU 4

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Southwest Minnesota State softball team kept its season alive on Friday morning with an 8-4 victory over St. Cloud State in an elimination game at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament at Bowden Field.

Madison Krog led a 13-hit SMSU attack going 3 for 4 with a run scores, while Mackenzie Clouse and Alex Reak both went 2 for 4. Kali Tomlinson also added a solo home run, her team-leading sixth of the season.

Megan Cull (7-9) tossed the complete game victory for the Mustangs, allowing four runs on seven hits.

SMSU (17-25) snapped a scoreless game in the third inning as Reak belted a solo home run to lead off the inning. Bailey Johnson pushed across another run with an RBI ground out.

SCSU, which beat SMSU twice in Marshall on April 22 and is ranked ninth in this week’s NCAA Central Region rankings, cut the lead lead in half in the fourth inning on a home run by Haley McFarlane.

SMSU then rallied with a huge sixth innings, putting together six hits to score five runs and push the lead to 7-1. The first run of the inning scored on a SCSU fielding error, before SMSU put together four straight hits and also added a bases loaded hit by pitch to score four runs. Sara DeSmet and Emma Grote had two of the hits to drive in runs, while Abbie Decker was hit by a pitch to score another run. Johnson capped the inning with a sac fly to score DeSmet.

SCSU (35-19) rallied with a three-run sixth to trim the deficit to 7-4, but Tomlinson smacked a solo homer in the seventh to give SMSU an 8-4 cushion.

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