Photo by Jake McNeill: The Southwest Minnesota State University shakes hands with Wayne State after a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament game at Bowden Field in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Wednesday. The Wildcats walked off the Mustangs 4-3 in the first round of the tournament, ending SMSU's season.

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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — The Southwest Minnesota State softball team fell just shy of its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament win since 2022 on Wednesday at Bowden Field. The ninth-seeded Mustangs held a lead in the seventh inning of its first-round matchup against No. 8 Wayne State, but the Wildcats scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to walk off SMSU 4-3.

Emilee Marth led off the Wildcats’ last-inning rally with a leadoff single and Taylor Coleman lined a single down the third baseline to put runners on the corners with one out.

After Coleman stole second to get in scoring position, Scobee drilled a single up the middle to score Marth. SMSU second baseman Emma Humpal dove to field the ball before throwing it home, but SMSU catcher Grace Anderson couldn’t hold onto the ball and Coleman scored the game-winning run to end the Mustangs’ season.

Jordyn Marsh came into the game for the final 1 1/3 innings with the save opportunity, taking over for Karlie Miller with two runners on and no outs in the sixth. She struck out the first batter she faced, and shortstop Abby Russell fielded a ground ball, tagged second and threw it to Van Dyke at first for the inning-ending double play. Still, Marsh was tagged for two earned runs on three hits in the seventh to drop her record to 6-4 on the year.

In her final collegiate start, Miller put together a stellar performance. She didn’t allow an earned run over five innings in the circle, striking out four batters while allowing a pair of unearned runs on three hits and four walks.

Anderson gave SMSU its first lead of the game in the top of the second, smashing a solo home run over the right field wall for her second homer of the season.

Samantha Felt improved to 8-5 on the year after pitching three scoreless innings of relief for the Wildcats. She struck out one batter while allowing a pair of hits.

Wayne State took the lead in the bottom of the second inning. The Mustangs retired each of the first two batters of the frame, but Scobee reached on an error by Lexi Ingalls at third and Hayley Murphy doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Another error by Humpal at second then allowed both runners to score on a Mary Krystofiak ground ball to make the score 2-1.

Anderson also led off the fourth inning with a walk. Peyton Verdon came in as a pinch runner and advanced to third base on a Paris Van Dyke ground out and a wild pitch. With two outs, Kaylee Hafermann then singled into right field to drive in Anderson for the tying run.

Hafermann had a pair of hits for the Mustangs while Anderson and Russell each recorded a hit and a walk. Boxrud also walked twice in the game.

Wayne State put runners on first and second with no outs in the bottom of the fourth, but SMSU got a force out at third and two at second base to leave runners stranded on the corners and keep the game tied.

Kennadi Borngrebe left the game with a no-decision after throwing the first four innings for Wayne State. She gave up a pair of unearned runs on four walks and two walks with a strikeout.

Grace Lucka took over for Wayne in the circle to start the fifth inning but was pulled after she walked Abby Boxrud, Abby Russell and Humpal consecutively to start the inning. Each of her first 10 pitches went for a ball before she put two strikes against Humpal and then another pair of balls.

Murphy fielded an Anderson short grounder by the plate before tagging Boxrud to put one away, but Van Dyke hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field to score Russell before a ground out ended the inning with two Mustangs left stranded.

Marth led the Wildcat offense with a double and a single, Murphy logged a double and a walk while Scobee contributed a double, a walk and two RBIs.

End of an era

The Mustangs graduated four seniors, with Morgyn Otte, Miller and Russell having spent their full four years with SMSU and Boxrud transferring in as a sophomore after starting her collegiate career at the University of St. Thomas.

Wildcat woes

SMSU dropped each of its regular-season matchups against the Wildcats, falling 9-1 in five innings and 4-1 in Wayne, Neb. Prior to dropping each of its three matchups against Wayne State this season, SMSU had won four consecutive games against the Wildcats over the previous two seasons.

Up next

SMSU finishes its season at 29-26 overall and 11-18 against NSIC opponents. The season marked SMSU’s first appearance in the postseason since 2022, when it defeated Sioux Falls 3-2 in Rochester before falling to Augustana and Minnesota Duluth. The Mustangs’ 29 wins were also their most since 2011’s 29-19 campaign.

Wayne State improves to 31-23 overall and 15-13 in the NSIC with the win, and will now face top-seeded Augustana (43-9, 25-3 NSIC) at Bowden Field on Thursday at 12:30 p.m.