Photo courtesy of SMSU Athletic Communications Southwest Minnesota State pitcher Morgan Otte throws a pitch during a softball game against Minnesota Crookston at the American State Bank Sports Dome in Sioux Center, Iowa on Monday. The Mustangs defeated the Golden Eagles in both games of the doubleheader, 8-0 and 3-1, to pick up their first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference wins of the year.

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa — The Southwest Minnesota State softball team opened its Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule on Sunday and Monday with a pair of doubleheaders against Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston. After getting swept by the Beavers on Sunday, the Mustangs bounced back with a pair of wins over the Golden Eagles on Monday.

The games were originally set to be played in Marshall but were relocated to the American State Bank Sports Dome due to the forecasted snowfall.

SMSU opened its conference schedule against Bemidji State on Sunday, with the Beavers mounting a seventh-inning comeback to claim a 5-3 win in the first game and Bemidji leading nearly the entirety of the second game for a 3-1 victory.

SMSU led 3-2 heading into the final frame of their conference opener against the Beavers. Momentum shifted when Aimee Christenson and Molly Houts singled consecutively to start the inning. After Josie Kappes came in as a pinch runner for Houts, a Mariah Stevenson ground out put both runners in scoring position with one out. 

The Beavers capitalized on the opportunity when Aubrey Aukerman grounded into a fielder’s choice. The Mustangs tried to make a play but everyone reached base safely and Christenson scored to tie the game with runners on the corners. 

Still not done, Morgan Benedict singled to center to put the Beavers on top and Aukerman scored on a wild pitch to make the score 5-3 after the top of the inning.

SMSU had one last chance to force extras but the Mustangs went 3-up, 3-down in the bottom of the inning and the Beavers hung on for the win.

Karlie Miller and Stella Dolan both went the full seven innings in the circle for their respective teams, allowing three earned runs each. Miller surrendered nine hits with four strikeouts while Dolan allowed three hits with two strikeouts to improve to 6-8.

Mikayla Berge reached base with a bunt in the first inning. She advanced to second on an Abby Russell single and third on a wild pitch before Jillian Noel drove her in with a sacrifice grounder to give SMSU a 1-0 lead.

Noel gave SMSU an extra bit of breathing room in the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff double to right field. Molly Bull hit a sacrifice fly to center on the next play and Noel scored from second to make the score 2-0.

A throwing error in the top of the fifth allowed the Beavers to tie the game up with a pair of unearned runs. Yet, SMSU retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth when Noel reached on a fielder’s choice, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Bull’s single to center field to make the score 3-2. 

In the second game against Bemidji State, the Beavers scored a pair of second-inning runs and rode that early momentum to victory.

With one out, Aukerman reached base with a walk and Benedict singled to put two runners on. An Avery Amidon groundout gave SMSU an opportunity to end the inning but Madalyn Kielsemeier walked to load the bases.

Jacqueline Larsen then singled to short to give Bemidji the go-ahead run and Christenson walked with the bases loaded to give Bemidji State a 2-0 lead.

SMSU responded in the third inning when Riley Kramolisch reached first with a bunt. 

A Berge walk and an Abby Russell single loaded the bases with two outs. Jillian Noel then hit a deep sacrifice fly to center field to score Kramolisch and put SMSU on the board. Berge tried to advance as well but was thrown out to end the inning.

Morgyn Otte put together another solid pitching performance despite not securing the win. She went the full seven innings, allowing two earned runs on nine hits and three walks. She also struck out four batters.

Elle Hastings also went the distance for Bemidji, surrendering eight hits and a walk with a pair of strikeouts.

SMSU put runners on the corners in the fifth inning with singles from Russell and Makenna Waldow but a groundout ended the inning before the Mustangs could tie the game.

Bemidji State added one last insurance run in the sixth inning when Kielsmeier singled up the middle, advanced to third on a wild pitch and throwing error, and scored on a Larsen single to right field. 

After failing to pick up their first conference win on Sunday, the Mustangs did that and then some with a pair of victories — 3-1 and 8-0 — over Minnesota Crookston on Monday. 

The Golden Eagles scored first in the day’s first game when Paige Shwaluk was hit in the first at-bat of the game and scored on a Rayna French single.

The Mustangs responded quickly. Kramolisch singled on the first pitch she faced, advanced to second on a Berge groundout and scored on a Russell double.

One inning later, Brynn Webber hit a leadoff single to put and stole second to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. She scored the go-ahead run on an Abby Boxrud single and Boxrud made the score 3-1 after stealing second and scoring on a Kramolisch single to center field. 

After allowing a first-inning run, Miller settled down quickly for the Mustangs with another six scoreless innings to finish off the game. She allowed five hits and a walk on the day while striking out three batters. The win improved her record to 6-8 on the year. 

Crookston starting pitcher Thayda Houser also finished off the game with five consecutive scoreless innings. Still, the three runs she allowed in the first two were enough for SMSU to pick up the win. Houser allowed seven hits and a walk with one strikeout on the day to fall to 1-7 on the year.

In the second game of the day, SMSU again struck early and often to pick up an 8-0 win in six innings.

Otte pitched the full game for SMSU, holding Crookston to four hits and a walk over six scoreless innings. She also struck out three batters while improving to 5-6 on the season with the win.

SMSU claimed the go-ahead runs in the bottom of the first inning when Kramolisch and Berge hit back-to-back singles. Kramolisch advanced to third when Russell reached on a fielder’s choice and, after Russell stole second, Noel doubled to center field to give SMSU a 2-0 lead.

The Mustangs doubled their lead in the bottom of the third when Kramolisch started the inning by reaching base on a fielding error. Russell also reached base on a fielder’s choice and another throwing error put Kramolisch on third. 

Just like the first inning, Russell stole second to put both runners in scoring position. Also like the first inning, Noel put the ball in play to score both runners, though it was a single instead of a double this time around.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Emma Humpal drew a walk, stole second and advanced to third when Kramolisch bunted for a single. Kramolisch then stole second before Paige Ahrendt doubled to drive in both runs.

Berge came into the game to pinch run for Ahrendt and, after advancing to second on a Russell groundout, Berge scored on a Noel single to right field to trigger the run rule and secure the 8-0 win.

Alexa Guilford was charged with the loss for the Eagles. She allowed five runs on seven hits over 3 1/3 innings for the Eagles. She also had Crookston’s only strikeout of the day.

Evie Stuck pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk.

Humpal hit a home run to center field for the Mustangs in the bottom of the fourth to make the score 5-0. 

SMSU is now 11-16 overall on the season and 2-2 in the NSIC after its conference-opening doubleheaders. They’ll look to keep the momentum from Monday’s games rolling when they head to North Dakota for a pair of doubleheaders against Minot State and UMary on Friday and Saturday.

The first pitch for Friday’s games against Minot State is scheduled for 4 p.m. while Saturday’s games against the Marauders will start at noon.