WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -Southwest Minnesota State’s Alli Christians pitched the Mustangs to an 8-0 final over American International to close out play in SMSU’s annual spring break trip on Thursday afternoon at DiamondPlex softball complex.

The Mustangs finished the trip with a 9-7 record after falling 4-3 in an eight-inning battle to Slippery Rock (Pa.), who are 6-9 overall after the victory earlier in the day.

SMSU went on a seven-game winning streak to kick-start the trip and split the final two days to end at an 8-2 record on the trip.

It was Madysson Schliinz who broke up the game in the top of the fifth with a triple to right center to bring in Molly Bull to put the Mustangs up at 1-0.

Before the inning was over, SMSU brought in two more to finish with an 3-0 lead after Bailey Johnson doubled to score Schliinz and Emma Grote hit a sac fly to center to score Kristen Neumann.

The Rock didn’t wait long to bring a runner home with a double to left center to trail 3-1 after five complete.

It was in the bottom of the sixth that The Rock would plate two off a two-run single through the right side to tie it up.

As the game would play into extra innings, the Mustangs started the top of the eighth with Grote on second. Kali Tomlinson laid down a sac bunt to advance Grote to third but a tricky play at home would hit into a double play to go scoreless.

The Rock came out in the bottom of the eighth to hit the walk off single to center to earn the winning run.

Megan Cull (3-1) suffered her first loss in the circle throwing 2 1/3 innings and striking three batters.

The Mustangs collected only three hits in the eight innings which recorded by Schliinz, Lileya Kebos, and Johnson.

The Mustangs finished the day off with the shutout victory over American International which started in the bottom of the first with a single from Noel to score Johnson.

Johnson sent a two-run homer to score Schliinz to advance the lead to 3-0 after two more. The Mustangs would tack on three runs in the third and two more in the fourth.

Madison Krog, Noel, and Tomlinson all led with two hits each while Johnson went 1-for-1 with two runs and two RBIs.

Christians (4-2) earned the victory tossing all five innings with three strikeouts and only allowing two hits.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications