Photo by Jake McNeill Southwest Minnesota State outfielders Brynn Webber (1) and Kaylee Hafermann high-five after Webber scored a run during the Mustangs’ softball game against Bemidji State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Saturday at Mattke Field in Marshall.

MARSHALL — In its second consecutive road doubleheader relocated to Mattke Field in Marshall due to inclement weather, the Southwest Minnesota State University softball team came away with a split against Bemidji State on Saturday. The Mustang bats were active in both games, leading them to a 5-1 win in the first game before errors resulted in an 8-4 loss in the rematch.

“I think they fought and competed,” SMSU head coach Bailey Bouman said of her team. “They very well could have rolled over when everything was not going their way, and they did a really good job of competing, fighting and putting runners in scoring position. We gave ourselves opportunities to have pressure in late innings and put ourselves in a position, they just made plays when we needed to and we didn’t execute. Sometimes that’s how the ball rolls, but we’re getting another opportunity next Wednesday.”

SMSU improves to 20-10 with the win, putting them past their win total from the 2024 season’s 19-32 campaign. The Mustangs will return to action on Wednesday when they host Augustana for their first official home doubleheader, starting at 2 p.m. The doubleheader is designated as SMSU Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day.

GAME 1

Bemidji State 1

In the fourth inning, the Mustangs secured their win with a four-run half-inning. Abby Russell singled to start the inning before scoring when Brynn Webber tripled to left field with two outs. The rally continued with an RBI double from Karli Miller, an RBI triple from Lexi Ingalls and an RBI single from Grace Anderson.

“We did a good job of playing clean [in the first game], we didn’t make mistakes and we didn’t give up extra bases,” SMSU head coach Bailey Bouman said. “When you play clean, you put yourself in a good position to be successful. We executed when we needed to score runners when we needed to and just played clean.”

Miller earned the win in the circle to improve to 8-4 on the season. She surrendered one run on four hits and a walk in the game while striking out a pair of batters.

Riley Kramolisch scored the game’s first run in the top of the first. The Mustang centerfielder hit a leadoff single up the middle and advanced to second on an Abby Boxrud bunt. From there, a pair of wild pitches scored her for a 1-0 Mustang advantage.

Kramolisch accounted for two of the Mustangs’ seven hits in the game, also stealing a base. Alexa Christenson had two of Bemidji State’s four, including a double.

The Beavers’ lone run of the game came in the bottom of the fourth when Calleigh Richards hit a sacrifice fly to score Mariah Stevenson. Still, Miller got a strike out and a ground out to end the frame and strand a runner on first.

Jordyn Marsh picked up her fifth save of the season with three innings of scoreless, hitless relief. She struck out four batters while walking one.

Danica Sarff fell to 2-5 on the year for Bemidji State after allowing five earned runs on five hits and a walk over 3 2/3 innings. In relief, Payton Prissell went 3 1/3 while allowing two hits and a walk.

SMSU 4

Stevenson scored Bemidji State’s first run in the second inning, but it was the third that the Beavers soared ahead with a four-run turn at bat. Maddie Kielsmeier and Aimee Christenson each singled to put runners on the corners to start the inning and Alexa Christenson drove in Kielsmeier on a ground out 

For the second day in a row, SMSU was charged with a controversial obstruction call after a review determined that Grace Anderson interfered with Aimee Christenson on the basepath on a Jackie Larsen single. SMSU assistant coach Troy Bouman was ejected from the game after the call. From there, Calleigh Richards doubled down the leftfield line to score Larsen and Stevenson hit a hard ball into right-center field for a 5-0 Beaver lead. 

Morgyn Otte fell to 6-4 after being charged with the loss in her 2 1/3-inning start. She was tagged for five earned runs on six hits and a pair of strikeouts before being pulled for Marsh.

SMSU made a game of it with a four-run fourth inning. Emma Humpal singled, Brynn Webber walked and Grace Anderson singled to load up the bases. Miller came in as a pinch hitter for Kaylee Hafermann with two outs and capitalized on the opportunity, driving the ball into right-center field for a two-run single. She advanced to second on the throw.

Kramolisch kept the rally going with a two-run double, bringing the Mustangs within a run, 5-4, before a deep fly ball to left field from Abby Boxrud was caught for the inning-ending out.

“I’m proud of the way our kids fought, they did a really good job fighting back and making the game close. We’ve just got to clean up some of the mental mistakes and we’ll be good to go,” Bailey Bouman said.

In relief, Marsh was hit for three unearned runs over 3 2/3 innings of work. She surrendered four hits and struck out a pair of batters.

Bemidji State added on some extra run support in the bottom of the sixth after capitalizing on a pair of errors from Humpal at third base. Alexa Christenson drove in Alayna DeGraef on the second of those two errors with two outs, Kielsmier added on another on a passed ball and Larsen singled in Christenson to make the score 8-4 before Marsh got out of the inning with a strikeout.

“You’ve got to give a ton of credit to Bemidji, they capitalized on our mistakes,” Bailey Bouman said. “I think it just comes down to making the plays. We’ve got to make plays, especially when they matter. We did that early and then adversity hits, and sometimes it’s just not meant to go your way.”

SMSU was retired in the bottom of the seventh in order.

Ingalls, Russell and Van Dyke put together a 4-6-3 double-play to end the bottom of the fourth. The play was originally ruled just an out at second base, but the Mustangs challenged the call and it was reversed to a double play after review.