Photo courtesy of Kelsey Whaley/SCSU Athletic Communications SMSU’s Bailey Johnson connects on the game-winning hit during game one of their doubleheader against Truman State on Sunday. SMSU defeated Truman State 5-4 and 8-7.

ST. CLOUD — Southwest Minnesota State used a pair of seventh inning rallies to sweep Truman State (Mo.), 5-4 and 8-7, in college softball on Sunday at the St. Cloud State Kelly Laas Invite inside the SCSU Dome.

The two victories complete a perfect 4-0 season-opening weekend for the Mustangs. It’s the third time in the last five seasons SMSU has started a season with four straight victories.

In game one Sunday morning, Bailey Johnson laced a bases loaded walk-off single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Mustangs to come-from-behind 5-4 victory.

TSU (2-4) jumped to a 4-1 lead after an inning and a half, but SMSU wouldn’t go away and picked up its first walk-off win since March 9, 2020, versus Lake Erie (Pa.).

Lileya Kebos started the winning rally in the seventh with a single and was moved to second on a sac bunt by Madison Krog. Following a strikeout, Patia Wolfe pinch-hit and worked a walk before Madysson Schliinz singled to load the bases and setting up the heroics for Johnson.

Megan Cull (1-0) earned the victory in relief as she fired two scoreless innings with three strikeouts and allowing one hit and one walk.

Allison Christians started in the circle for SMSU and saw TSU strike for four runs on five hits in the first two innings of the game.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the first, Johnson started the frame with a walk and later scored on a Kali Tomlinson double to cut the lead in half.

Down 4-1 in the third, SMSU started its rally as Johnson double to start the inning and came around to score on Jillian Noel RBI single. Later in the inning, Krog hit into a fielder’s choice to score Emma Grote and cut the deficit to 4-3.

SMSU put together a two-out rally in the fourth to tie the game at 4-4. Grote and Tomlinson each singled before Noel, who was down 0-2 in the count, came through with a clutch single to tie the game.

The Bulldogs threatened in the fifth loading the bases, but Christians was able to work out of the jam with a ground out. TSU also left runners on base in both the sixth and seventh innings.

SMSU finished the opener with 12 hits, with Grote pacing the way with a career-high tying with four hits and two runs scored. Tomlinson, Noel and Johnson each collected two hits with Noel finishing with two RBIs.

Christians pitched five innings, giving eights and four runs with three walks a pair of strikeouts.

In game two, SMSU jumped up to an early lead as Noel ripped an RBI triple and was followed by an RBI double by Kebos to make the score 2-0.

The lead expanded in the top of the second as Kaylee Hentges doubled and Molly Bull followed with a walk. Following a fly out, Johnson came through with a three-run homer to make the score 5-0.

TSU would push across single runs in the second and third innings, before scoring three runs in the fifth to chase SMSU starting pitcher Shelby Bloemendaal. Cull entered in relief with a runner on with one out, but kept the game tied recording a ground out and pop out to end the inning.

SMSU was able to break through in the seventh with the help of a crucial TSU error to score three unearned runs. Grote started the rally reaching on an error by the first baseman and moved to second on a ground out by Tomlinson. Noel singled to right field to put runners on the corners, before Kebos came through with an RBI double to put the Mustangs in front. Following a pop out, Hentges added the eventual game-winning hit with a two-run single to extend the lead to 8-5.

The insurance runs were huge as the Bulldogs mounted their own rally in the bottom of the seventh, cutting the lead to 8-6 and had runners in scoring position with just one out. Cull (2-0) held tough and after an RBI ground out cut the margin to one-run, the lefty then coaxed a fly out to end the game and earn her second win of the day.

Noel, Hentges and Kebos led SMSU’s eight-hit attack in game two with each collecting a pair hits.

Bloemendaal pitched the first 4 1/3 innings and allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits with two strikeouts. Cull allowed two runs on two hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Johnson finished the four games batting .583 with four doubles, a home run and eight RBIs, while also walking four times and was hit by a pitch. She currently ranks first in team history in both slugging percentage (.665) and on-base percentage (.493) and ranks third in doubles (38). Amanda Burkhart (2006-09) holds the program record with 42 doubles.

Saturday

SMSU 8, Northwestern (Iowa) 4

SMSU 15, Viterbo (Wis.) 1 (5 innings)

ST. CLOUD — The Southwest Minnesota State softball team returned to the diamond on Saturday night opening its 2021 season with a pair of victories at the St. Cloud State Kelly Laas Memorial Tournament inside the SCSU Dome. SMSU opened the night with an 8-4 win over Northwestern College (IA) and then cruised past Viterbo (Wis.), 15-1, in five innings.

In the opener versus Northwestern, SMSU was able to take advantage to several Red Raider miscues to score five unearned runs.

NWC scored the game’s first run in the second inning and held a 1-0 lead until the fourth. Held to just one hit through three innings, SMSU’s bats came alive in the fourth as Emma Grote reached on an error and moments later Kali Tomlinson belted a two-run homer to put SMSU in the lead. With one out, Lileya Kebos tripled and then scored on a sac fly by Madison Krog to make the score 3-1.

SMSU added to the lead in the fifth with three runs on just one hit and taking advantage of three NWC errors to push the lead to 6-1.

The Mustangs added a single run in the sixth on a Grote RBI ground out and then pushed across another run in the seventh on a Krog sac fly to score Kebos, who tripled for the second time in the game.

SMSU starting pitcher Allison Christians fired the first 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) on nine hits. She struck out four and walked a pair. Megan Cull entered the game in the bottom of the sixth with one out and the bases loaded with SMSU holding a 7-2 lead and stopped the rally with a pair of ground outs. Cull gave up a solo homer and left the bases loaded in the seventh to secure the win.

Kebos and Tomlinson led SMSU’s eight-hit attack with two hits each, while Krog, Tomlinson and Grote each finished the game with two RBIs.

In the nightcap versus Viterbo, it was all SMSU as the Mustangs jumped on the board with five first inning runs and cruised to the run-rule victory.

Bailey Johnson had a big night finishing 4 for 4 with three doubles, four RBIs and four runs scored. The three doubles tie her own SMSU single-game record along with three other players. Grote finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, Tomlinson had two hits and three RBIs, Kebos collected two hits (including another triple), while Krog collected a pair of RBIs.

Shelby Bloemendaal picked up the victory in the circle for the Mustangs tossing all five innings and allowing five hits with three strikeouts.

Up next

Southwest Minnesota State continues play next Friday taking on Winona State in a pair of non-conference games starting at 11 a.m. inside the RCTC Dome in Rochester.

— Content courtesy of SMSU Athletic Communications