Photo by Jake McNeill: Southwest Minnesota State University's Lexi Ingalls fields a throw at second base during a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament game against Sioux Falls, Wednesday in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Mustangs took on Winona State in the NSIC quarterfinals on Thursday, falling 4-2.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — A fourth-inning rally by Winona State was too much for the Southwest Minnesota State University softball team to overcome in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference quarterfinals, Thursday at Augustana’s Bowden Field. The Mustangs claimed an early lead but ultimately fell 4-2.

The Mustangs led 1-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth, but Indigo Fish and Lila McNeill singled, and Braelee Jodarski cleared the bases with a three-run home run that turned the tide for the Warriors.

Jordyn Marsh pitched all six innings for the Mustangs, giving up four earned runs on five hits and three walks in the loss. She struck out five batters on the day.

SMSU scored the game’s first run in the top of the fourth. Riley Kramolisch hit a leadoff single and advanced to second on a Paris Van Dyke sacrifice bunt. After Aliza Acker was intentionally walked, Emma Humpal flied out to right field but an error on the play allowed Kramolisch to run home for a go-ahead run.

Kramolisch, the only senior on the team, closed out her final game as a Mustang with a pair of singles and a run scored. Carley Stych singled for SMSU’s lone other hit.

Stych led off the sixth with a double, and a Kramolisch single and a Van Dyke walk loaded the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, Humpal grounded out to drive in Stych, but another ground out left the tying and go-ahead runs stranded.

Winona State got the run back in the bottom of the frame with a solo homer by Jodarski, and the Warriors retired the Mustangs in order in the top of the seventh to end the game.

Izzy Howe pitched the first five innings for Winona, getting relieved after loading the bases in the sixth. She was charged with one earned and one unearned run on the day, giving up three hits and a pair of walks with five strikeouts. Jayda Berg got the two-inning save, retiring each of the six batters she faced and logging a strikeout.

Jodarski led the Warriors with a pair of homers and four RBIs, and three other players logged a single.

SMSU caps off its season with a 32-6 overall and 17-13 NSIC record. Both their overall and conference win totals are the most for the team since 2009, when the Mustangs went 32-23 overall and 21-5 in conference-play.

BOX SCORE

SMSU

BATTING

R. Kramolisch: 2-3, R, SO; P. Van Dyke: 0-1, BB; A. Acker: 0-2, BB, 2 SO; E. Humpal: 0-3, RBI; K. Bretschneider: 0-3, SO; L. Ingalls: 0-3, SO; G. Anderson: 0-3; C. Stych: 1-2 (2B), R.

PITCHING

J. Marsh: L, 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO.

WINONA STATE

BATTING

A. Woelfel: 1-2, BB, SB; T. Mancuso: 0-2; B. Elsenpeter: 0-3, 2 SO; I. Fish: 1-2, BB, R; L. McNeill: 1-2, R; B. Jodarski: 2-3 (2 HR), 4 RBI, 2 R, SO; J. Johnson: 0-3; N. Weinberger: 0-1, BB, SO; H. Soderbeck: 0-1, SO; A. Chantos: 0-2.

PITCHING

I. Howe: W, 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, ER, 2 BB, 5 SO; J. Berg: S, 2 IP, SO.