By Jake McNeill jmcneill@marshallindependent.com ST. CLOUD — The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team was swept by St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth at the Husky Dome over the weekend, extending its losing streak to eight straight games. The skid drops SMSU down one spot to 11th place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference after entering the weekend.  The Mustangs dropped their first pair of games against St. Cloud State on Saturday 5-0 and 5-1, and then lost 7-0 and 5-4 to the Bulldogs on Sunday.  Sunday’s doubleheader against Minnesota Duluth was originally scheduled to be played at UMD’s James S. Malosky stadium but was relocated due to weather. SMSU pitchers Karlie Miller and Morgyn Otte saw their records drop down to 9-9 and 7-8 with the losses.  SMSU struggled at the plate most of the weekend but outhit Minnesota Duluth 12-4 in the final game. Yet, a 5-0 deficit was too much to overcome and their rally fell short in a 5-4 loss.  Now 22-20 on the season and 4-12 overall, the Mustangs will look to right the ship on Wednesday when they take on Sioux Falls at the Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, S.D.  SATURDAY’S GAMES Game 1 SCSU 5, SMSU 0 St. Cloud first claimed its lead in the series debut off a solo home run from Hannah Harms in the second inning. Yet, they sealed the win with a four-run fourth inning. Sydney Roe initiated the rally with a leadoff walk and consecutive singles from Brooke Holmes and Bethany Weiss scored a run and put runners on the corners with no outs. The rally continued as Kaylee Collins laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Holmes and an error by SMSU catcher Ava Rud allowed Weiss to score. Bree Beck then reached based on a fielder’s choice while Collins crossed the plate for a 5-0 St. Cloud lead. Karlie Miller was charged with the loss after being tagged for five earned runs on seven hits and a walk. She struck out six batters in the game. The loss drops her record to 9-8. For the Huskies, Macey Clark improved to 11-5 after tossing a complete-game shutout. She struck out one batter and allowed four hits with no walks.  Riley Kramolisch, Abby Boxrud, Brynn Webber and Miller each recorded a hit for SMSU. Game 2 SCSU 5, SMSU 1 A three-hit game by Kramolisch in the leadoff slot wasn’t enough to spark the SMSU offense in its second game against St. Cloud State on Saturday, as the Mustangs again fell 5-1 to the Huskies. SMSU’s lone run came while trailing 4-0 in the fourth inning. Emma Humpal opened the inning with a single up the middle on an eight-pitch at-bat and Paris Van Dyke followed up with an RBI double to make it a three-run game. Morgyn Otte was charged with the loss for SMSU, falling to 7-7 after giving up three earned and one unearned run on three hits and three walks. She struck out four batters in her 2 1/3-inning performance. St. Cloud State produced four of its five runs in the third inning. Beck opened the inning with a walk and Reese Hulzhueter reached base on a catcher’s interference call against Grace Anderson. Grace Frechette then got the rally started with an RBI double and Maggie Fitzgerald kept things going with an RBI single, making the score 2-0 with no outs. Holmes hit another RBI double before SMSU replaced Otte with Jordyn Marsh on the mound. One more run scored when Weiss drove in Fitzgerald on a ground out, and a pop out ended the inning with a 4-0 St. Cloud State lead.  Emma Eickhoff remains perfect on the hill for St. Cloud, moving to 12-0 after allowing one earned run on seven hits over five innings. In relief, Justyce Porter earned her sixth save with two shutout innings. Marsh allowed one earned run on three hits with five strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings of relief for SMSU. The one run came in the sixth when Holzhueter drove in Collins on an RBI single.  SUNDAY’S GAMES Game 3 UMD 7, SMSU 0 Hitting with runners in scoring position was a struggle for SMSU in the first game of its doubleheader against Minnesota Duluth on Sunday. The Mustangs left four runners stranded on second or third base, including three in the first four innings, as they lost 7-0 to the Bulldogs.  Duluth first claimed the lead when Kendal Jenkins hit an RBI single to score Nicole Schmitt in the fourth inning and bolstered it when Taylor Tschida reached on an error to account for another pair of the inning’s four runs.  Karlie Miller allowed four earned and three unearned runs in her six-inning start for the Mustangs, falling to 9-9 on the season. She struck out six batters while allowing nine hits and three walks. For the Bulldogs, Allison Luoma picked up the win to bring her record to 10-4 on the season. She held SMSU to five hits and a walk with five strikeouts over six scoreless frames. Maddy Walsh also pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Kramolisch and Boxrud each had a pair of hits for SMSU, including a double for Boxrud. The Bulldogs added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth, when Schmitt drove in Morgan McMillan and Taryn Christopher on a double, and Billi Connell singled in Khendal Johnson.  Game 4 UMD 5, SMSU 4 After being stomped in the first game, SMSU put up a valiant comeback effort in the second. The Mustangs scored each of the game’s final four runs, and finished the game out-hitting Duluth 12-4, but the rally fell shy for a 5-4 loss to Minnesota Duluth.  Trailing 5-0, SMSU’s offense started to show signs of life in the third. A Lexi Ingalls double and Kaylee Hafermann single put runners on the corners with one out, and singles from Kramolisch and Abby Russell drove in Ingalls and Hafermann to cut Duluth’s edge to three runs. After a Kramolisch leadoff single in the fifth, Boxrud reached base by grounding into a fielder’s choice. She then advanced to second on a Russell single, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Humpal ground out.  Russell replaced Boxrud at first by grounding into a fielder’s choice in the top of the seventh, advanced to second on a Humpal single and scored on an Anderson single. With the tying run on second, SMSU had Miller pinch run for Anderson but Marsh popped out to end the game.  Kramolisch, Boxrud, Russell and Ingalls each had a pair of hits in the game, including a double for Ingalls. Duluth, meanwhile, was led by McMillan’s three RBIs on a double and a walk. Morgyn Otte fell below .500 for the season down to 7-8 with the loss. She gave up four earned runs on four walks and a pair of hits over 1 1/3 innings. Marsh gave up one earned run on two hits with three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings of relief. After walking the first two Bulldog batters of the day, Otte got out of the inning on three consecutive outs, including a runner leaving early. In the second inning, however, Johnson walked and Emma Ambroz and Christopher singled to load the bases with one out. Connell walked to force in Johnson and, after an SMSU pitching change from Otte to Marsh, McMillan hit a three-run double to crack the game open. McMillan went on to score on a wild pitch.  Allyssa Williams improved to 13-6 for the Bulldogs. She gave up four earned runs on 12 hits and five strikeouts over seven frames.

ST. CLOUD — The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team was swept by St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth at the Husky Dome over the weekend, extending its losing streak to eight straight games. The skid drops SMSU down one spot to 11th place in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference after entering the weekend. 

The Mustangs dropped their first pair of games against St. Cloud State on Saturday 5-0 and 5-1, and then lost 7-0 and 5-4 to the Bulldogs on Sunday. 

Sunday’s doubleheader against Minnesota Duluth was originally scheduled to be played at UMD’s James S. Malosky stadium but was relocated due to weather.

SMSU pitchers Karlie Miller and Morgyn Otte saw their records drop down to 9-9 and 7-8 with the losses. 

SMSU struggled at the plate most of the weekend but outhit Minnesota Duluth 12-4 in the final game. Yet, a 5-0 deficit was too much to overcome and their rally fell short in a 5-4 loss. 

Now 22-20 on the season and 4-12 overall, the Mustangs will look to right the ship on Wednesday when they take on Sioux Falls at the Sanford Sports Complex in Sioux Falls, S.D. 

SATURDAY’S GAMES

SMSU 0

St. Cloud first claimed its lead in the series debut off a solo home run from Hannah Harms in the second inning. Yet, they sealed the win with a four-run fourth inning.

Sydney Roe initiated the rally with a leadoff walk and consecutive singles from Brooke Holmes and Bethany Weiss scored a run and put runners on the corners with no outs.

The rally continued as Kaylee Collins laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Holmes and an error by SMSU catcher Ava Rud allowed Weiss to score. Bree Beck then reached based on a fielder’s choice while Collins crossed the plate for a 5-0 St. Cloud lead.

Karlie Miller was charged with the loss after being tagged for five earned runs on seven hits and a walk. She struck out six batters in the game. The loss drops her record to 9-8.

For the Huskies, Macey Clark improved to 11-5 after tossing a complete-game shutout. She struck out one batter and allowed four hits with no walks. 

Riley Kramolisch, Abby Boxrud, Brynn Webber and Miller each recorded a hit for SMSU.

SMSU 1

A three-hit game by Kramolisch in the leadoff slot wasn’t enough to spark the SMSU offense in its second game against St. Cloud State on Saturday, as the Mustangs again fell 5-1 to the Huskies.

SMSU’s lone run came while trailing 4-0 in the fourth inning. Emma Humpal opened the inning with a single up the middle on an eight-pitch at-bat and Paris Van Dyke followed up with an RBI double to make it a three-run game.

Morgyn Otte was charged with the loss for SMSU, falling to 7-7 after giving up three earned and one unearned run on three hits and three walks. She struck out four batters in her 2 1/3-inning performance.

St. Cloud State produced four of its five runs in the third inning. Beck opened the inning with a walk and Reese Hulzhueter reached base on a catcher’s interference call against Grace Anderson. Grace Frechette then got the rally started with an RBI double and Maggie Fitzgerald kept things going with an RBI single, making the score 2-0 with no outs.

Holmes hit another RBI double before SMSU replaced Otte with Jordyn Marsh on the mound. One more run scored when Weiss drove in Fitzgerald on a ground out, and a pop out ended the inning with a 4-0 St. Cloud State lead. 

Emma Eickhoff remains perfect on the hill for St. Cloud, moving to 12-0 after allowing one earned run on seven hits over five innings. In relief, Justyce Porter earned her sixth save with two shutout innings.

Marsh allowed one earned run on three hits with five strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings of relief for SMSU. The one run came in the sixth when Holzhueter drove in Collins on an RBI single. 

SUNDAY’S GAMES

SMSU 0

Hitting with runners in scoring position was a struggle for SMSU in the first game of its doubleheader against Minnesota Duluth on Sunday. The Mustangs left four runners stranded on second or third base, including three in the first four innings, as they lost 7-0 to the Bulldogs. 

Duluth first claimed the lead when Kendal Jenkins hit an RBI single to score Nicole Schmitt in the fourth inning and bolstered it when Taylor Tschida reached on an error to account for another pair of the inning’s four runs. 

Karlie Miller allowed four earned and three unearned runs in her six-inning start for the Mustangs, falling to 9-9 on the season. She struck out six batters while allowing nine hits and three walks.

For the Bulldogs, Allison Luoma picked up the win to bring her record to 10-4 on the season. She held SMSU to five hits and a walk with five strikeouts over six scoreless frames. Maddy Walsh also pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Kramolisch and Boxrud each had a pair of hits for SMSU, including a double for Boxrud.

The Bulldogs added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth, when Schmitt drove in Morgan McMillan and Taryn Christopher on a double, and Billi Connell singled in Khendal Johnson. 

Game 4

SMSU 4

After being stomped in the first game, SMSU put up a valiant comeback effort in the second. The Mustangs scored each of the game’s final four runs, and finished the game out-hitting Duluth 12-4, but the rally fell shy for a 5-4 loss to Minnesota Duluth. 

Trailing 5-0, SMSU’s offense started to show signs of life in the third. A Lexi Ingalls double and Kaylee Hafermann single put runners on the corners with one out, and singles from Kramolisch and Abby Russell drove in Ingalls and Hafermann to cut Duluth’s edge to three runs.

After a Kramolisch leadoff single in the fifth, Boxrud reached base by grounding into a fielder’s choice. She then advanced to second on a Russell single, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Humpal ground out. 

Russell replaced Boxrud at first by grounding into a fielder’s choice in the top of the seventh, advanced to second on a Humpal single and scored on an Anderson single. With the tying run on second, SMSU had Miller pinch run for Anderson but Marsh popped out to end the game. 

Kramolisch, Boxrud, Russell and Ingalls each had a pair of hits in the game, including a double for Ingalls. Duluth, meanwhile, was led by McMillan’s three RBIs on a double and a walk.

Morgyn Otte fell below .500 for the season down to 7-8 with the loss. She gave up four earned runs on four walks and a pair of hits over 1 1/3 innings. Marsh gave up one earned run on two hits with three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings of relief.

After walking the first two Bulldog batters of the day, Otte got out of the inning on three consecutive outs, including a runner leaving early. In the second inning, however, Johnson walked and Emma Ambroz and Christopher singled to load the bases with one out. Connell walked to force in Johnson and, after an SMSU pitching change from Otte to Marsh, McMillan hit a three-run double to crack the game open. McMillan went on to score on a wild pitch. 

Allyssa Williams improved to 13-6 for the Bulldogs. She gave up four earned runs on 12 hits and five strikeouts over seven frames.