Photo by Jake McNeill: Southwest Minnesota State University's Carley Stych (left) and Aliza Acker celebrate after scoring a pair of runs during a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference softball game against Wayne State, Sunday in Marshall.

MARSHALL — The Southwest Minnesota State softball team’s bats couldn’t keep pace with Wayne State in Sunday’s Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader. The Mustangs fell behind early in both games and never recovered, falling 12-6 in the first and 10-3 in the second.

Paris Van Dyke led Marshall offensively with four hits and a pair of RBIs across the two games, including a two-run inside-the-park homer in the first, while Emma Humpal added another trio of hits. Ramsey Hopp took the loss in the first game, falling to 8-15, and Jordyn Marsh took the loss in the second to drop to 17-7.

SMSU is now 25-23 overall and 11-11 in conference this season. Sitting a game back of the final NSIC tournament slot, the Mustangs will look to get back into position when they host Jamestown for an Alumni Day doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m. A day later, SMSU hosts Northern State for Senior Day at noon.

GAME 1

WSC 12, SMSU 6

Wayne State overcame an early deficit with an eight-run fourth inning in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader. Lillie Timm got the rally started with a three-run homer. After an RBI double from Leah Chance and an RBI single from Maddie Scobee, Kennadi Borngrebe hit another three-run homer to bring the score to 8-1.

Hopp was charged with four earned and five unearned runs over her 6 2/3 innings in the circle. She surrendered 11 hits and a pair of walks with two strikeouts before being relieved by Jordan Bussey for the final out. Bussey gave up three earned runs on three hits and a strikeout.

The Mustangs made a valiant attempt to respond in the bottom of the fourth, but it wasn’t enough. Hopp led off the inning with a single and got into scoring position on a Kaylee Hafermann single. Riley Kramolisch singled home Hopp and Hafermann, and after a pitching change, Van Dyke rounded the bases for a two-run inside-the-park homer, cutting the deficit to 8-5.

Still, Wayne State added three more runs in the top of the fifth and one in the top of the seventh. The Mustangs got back on the scoreboard when Stych singled in Hopp in the bottom of the seventh with two outs, but a ground out left two runners stranded to end the game.

Marsh drew a leadoff walk in the second to set up a Stych RBI single for the game’s first run.

Taylor Coleman improved to 13-4 as the Wildcats’ starting pitcher, giving up three earned runs and one unearned run on six hits and a walk over 3 2/3 innings. Jadeyn Star picked up the save, tossing the final 3 1/3 frames while giving up a pair of earned runs on seven hits and a walk.

Timm, Scobee and Borngrebe each finished with a home run and three RBIs for Wayne State, as well as a double and a walk for Timm, a single and a walk for Scobee and another single for Borngrebe.

WSC 10, SMSU 3

Wayne State surged ahead with four runs in each of the third and fourth innings and never looked back. Emilee Marth was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to push across the go-ahead run, and Scobee hit a three-run single aided by a left field error to put the Wildcats in command. An inning later, Jordyn Rochholz hit a two-run homer, Marth hit an RBI single and Chance stole home while SMSU tried to catch a runner stealing second to bring the lead to 8-4.

In between the two rallies, SMSU had a three-run bottom-of-the-third. Marsh got the Mustangs on the board with a two-run single up the middle and Kennah Bretschneider added another RBI single to cut the gap to a run before Wayne State answered in the next half-inning.

Marsh gave up nine earned runs in a complete-game effort for the Mustangs. She struck out four batters while allowing 11 hits and three walks.

Humpal logged a pair of singles and a pair of walks for the Mustangs and Aliza Acker and Bretschneider each contributed a single and a walk.

Wayne State added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth on a Timm RBI double and a Chance RBI single.

Borngrebe improved to 14-6 in the circle with a complete-game outing for the Wildcats. She struck out 10 batters while giving up 10 earned runs on seven hits and five walks.

Timm finished the game with three doubles and an RBI for the Wildcats and Marsh added another pair of singles with a pair of RBIs.