ST. PAUL — The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team closed out the regular season on Sunday afternoon earning a doubleheader split versus Concordia-St. Paul in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action at Carlander Field. CSP won the opener, 2-1 in eight innings, but SMSU rebounded in game two to earn a 10-5 victory.

SMSU ends the regular season 26-18 overall, including 17-13 in NSIC play. The Mustangs finished league play in seventh place and will now compete in the 10-team double-elimination NSIC Tournament starting this Thursday in Rochester. SMSU, the seventh-seed, will open the tournament versus 10-seeded Northern State at 10 a.m. The official tournament bracket will be announced on Sunday night.

The 26 victories is the programs highest win total since the 2015 team finished with 27, while the seventh place regular season finish is its highest since the 2011 season.

In Sunday’s game two, SMSU busted out of its offensive funk early in the game as Bailey Johnson and Emma Grote each walked to open the game. Following a ground out, Madison Krog scored the game’s first run with run-scoring single before Lileya Kebos laid down an RBI bunt single to make the score 2-0. After a ground out, Kaylee Hentges came through with a clutch two-out, two-run single to push the lead to 4-0.

SMSU added to the lead in the second as Madysson Schliinz and Johnson started the inning with singles. With one out Tomlinson stroked an RBI double to score Schliinz, but pinch-runner Lauren Klein was thrown out at the plate to keep the score 5-0.

SMSU extended the lead to 6-0 in the third with another two-out hit as Schliinz delivered with a single to plate Hentges.

CSP would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third with the help of four walks and two hits to cut the deficit to 6-3.

The Mustangs would counter in the top of the fourth with another run crossing the plate. Tomlinson walked to open the inning and advanced to third on a double by Krog. With one out, Patia Wolfe made the score 7-3 with a pinch-hit single to score Tomlinson.

The score remained 7-3 until the seventh when the Mustangs plated three more runs. Johnson started the scoring with an RBI double, while Tomlinson blasted her team-leading 12th home run of the season–a two-run homer–to make the score 10-3. The 12 home runs is the second highest single-season total in team history. Amanda Burkhart holds the record of 18 set in 2009.

Megan Cull started in the circle for SMSU and tossed the first three innings. She allowed three runs on three hits with four strikeouts and five walks. Shelby Bloemendaal (8-7) came on in relief in the fourth inning and pitched the final four innings to earn the win, allowing two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and three walks.

SMSU held a 14-8 hit advantage in game two with Johnson and Schliinz each finishing with three hits. Tomlinson, Krog and Hentges each added two hits apiece.

In game one, pitching was the main story as CSP’s Kali Kaestner and SMSU’s Bloemendaal and Cull held both offensive units in check throughout the game.

The game was scoreless until the fifth when the Golden Bears pushed across a run on a sac bunt to take a 1-0 lead.

SMSU answered in the top of the sixth to tie the game but failed on a great chance to take the lead after loading the bases with no outs. Grote started the rally with a bunt single and moved to second moments later on a Tomlinson double. Krog was hit by a pitch to lead the bases but was followed by a strikeout and pop out. With two outs, Hentges hit a ball to shortstop that was misplayed allowing Grote to score and tied the game at 1-1.

SMSU left a pair of runners on base in the seventh, while CSP stranded the winning run at second base to end the seventh.

SMSU was retired in order in the eighth before CSP’s Kris McIntyre led-off the bottom of the eight with a solo home run to give the Golden Bears the walk-off victory.

Both teams finished the game with six hits. Bailey Johnson led SMSU going 2 for 4, while Grote, Tomlinson, Jillian Noel and Hentges all collected one hit.

Bloemendaal pitched the first 4 1/3 innings for the Mustangs and allowed one run on four hits with two strikeouts and one walk. Megan Cull (12-7) suffered the loss tossing the final 2 2/3 giving up one run on two hits.

Saturday

No. 17 MSU Mankato 14,

SMSU 0 (5 innings) (Game 1)

No. 17 MSU Mankato 14,

SMSU 0 (5 innings) (Game 2)

MANKATO — The No. 17-ranked Minnesota State softball team put together a pair of dominating performances at the plate and in the circle in earning a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader sweep over Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday by scores of 14-0 and 14-0.

SMSU, which drops to 25-17 overall, 16-12 NSIC, was limited to seven combined hits in the two games. MSU improves to 32-7, 21-5 NSIC.

On Saturday, MSU pitcher Mackenzie Ward was dominate as she carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning. Lileya Kebos was able to break the no-hit bid with a single and was followed by singles by both Jillian Noel and Kaylee Hentges to load the bases, but three straight strikeouts ended the game and preserved the shutout.

Ward finished the game with nine strikeouts and walked one batter.

Megan Cull (12-6) started in the circle for SMSU and lasted one inning allowing three runs on four hits. Allison Christians pitched two innings with Tory Villotta tossing one inning.

In game two, the Mavericks snapped a scoreless game with a six-run second inning with five hits and one SMSU error off Mustang starting pitcher Shelby Bloemendaal. MSU put the game away in the third with seven more runs on seven hits and one SMSU error.

Bloemendaal (7-7) pitched all four innings and surrendered six earned runs on 14 hits with two strikeouts and one walk.

Madison Krog, Molly Bull, Madysson Schliinz and Noel each had one hit in the loss.

Three MSU pitchers combined on the four-hitter with five strikeouts.

— Content courtesy

of SMSU Athletic

Communications