ROCHESTER – The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team had its season came to an end on Friday morning with a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Winona State in an elimination game at the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament played at the RYFSA Complex.

SMSU, the tournament’s No. 7 seed held a 1-0 lead with two outs in the bottom of the sixth before WSU’s Teaghen Amwoza belted a go-ahead two-run home run.

SMSU ends the season with a record of 27-20. The 27 victories are the program’s highest total since the 2015 season.

Friday was also the final game for Mustang seniors: Megan Cull, Emma Grote, Kaylee Hentges, Madison Krog, Madysson Schliinz and Kali Tomlinson. The five senior hitters combined to play in 845 games with 721 hits, while Cull pitched in 100 games and recorded 299 strikeouts.

WSU, the tournament’s No. 3 seed and ranked No. 23 nationally and No. 7 in this week’s NCAA Central Region rankings, improves to 35-11 overall.

The game was scoreless until the fourth when SMSU was able to breakthrough. Tomlinson started the rally with a single before moving to second on a sac bunt by Krog. Following a pop out, Jillian Noel smacked a clutch two-out RBI double to right-center to plate Tomlinson for the game’s first run.

The score remained 1-0 until the sixth when WSU used a two-out walk before Amwoza hit the eventual game-winning home run.

Cull (12-8) made the start in the circle for the Mustangs and fired the complete game, allowing two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and two walks.

WSU All-American pitcher Jordyn Kleman held SMSU to four hits with Grote, Tomlinson, Noel and Molly Bull each collecting one hit.

Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications