WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team split an afternoon series on the third day of THE Spring Games in Florida on Thursday. The Mustangs suffered a 6-0 loss to Northwood Michigan, but turned things around for a 5-1 win against Seton Hill Pennsylvania in their second of the double header.

Thursday was SMSU’s third doubleheader in four days, who opened up the tournament on Monday and Tuesday.

Notably, the Mustangs have swept Seton Hill this week with three wins against the Griffins over the course of THE Spring Games.

SMSU moves to a 10-6 start to the season, and will return back to the diamond today for another doubleheader in Bartow, Florida. The Mustangs will take on Northwood (1-5) again at 11 a.m., followed up with Glenville State (7-1).

GAME 1

Northwood 6, SMSU 0

The loss to Northwood was SMSU’s first shutout of the season, faltered by a late rally from the Timberwolves who scored all of their runs between the fifth and sixth innings.

The game was scoreless through the first four frames, but Northwood’s Ashley Ziel hit a three-run homer to left field on no outs for a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth.

The Mustangs left two on base in the bottom of the frame sparked by Carley Stych and Riley Kramolisch singles, but three straight outs from there quieted SMSU.

Northwood capitalized again in the top of the sixth with another three runs between a pair of doubles from Payton Schafsnitz and Delanie Gale, and an RBI single from Ashely Ziel to score the final run and a 6-0 Mustangs’ deficit and were kept scoreless in their final two at-bats.

The Timberwolves outhit SMSU 12-6.

SMSU’s Ramsey Hopp pitched for six innings and allowed 11 hits with the six runs and a pair of walks, along with one strikeout. Binney Kamden allowed five hits with one walk and three strikeouts for the Timberwolves in her six innings pitched.

GAME 2

SMSU 5, Seton Hill 1

Jordyn Marsh pitched a complete six innings allowing just one run, along with scoring two runs herself, to help SMSU come out on top for a 5-1 win over Seton Hill to finish off the afternoon.

The game was called off an inning early due to lightning and incoming storms in the area.

Kaylee Hafermann helped lead the offense with a team-high two RBIs along with accounting for one run and a hit, while Emma Humpal had two runs and two hits.

Hitting was contagious for the Mustangs with seven different players connecting with the ball at least once.

Marsh scored the first run of the day in the top of the second inning of a Haermann double to right field, who found her way home off Lexi Ingalls’ double in SMSU’s next at-bat to take a 2-0 lead.

Humpal scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning, and the Mustangs’ brought in two more runs in the sixth from Humpal and Marsh to finish off the night before the game was called.

Marsh, Hafermann and Ingalls each had a double in the win.

Seton Hill scored its lone run in the bottom of the third off a fielding error.

Marsh also finished her time in the circle allowing six hits and one walk, while Grace Anderson for Seton Hill finished with nine hits, five earned runs and two walks in her six innings pitched.