SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The No. 14 Winona State softball team bounced back from a four-run first inning deficit to score six unanswered runs and beat No. 9 Augustana 6-4 Friday in the semifinals of the NSIC/US Bank Tournament.

With the victory, the Warriors (45-12) move directly on to the championship game Saturday at 2 p.m. and will play the team that moves through the elimination bracket Saturday – either Augustana, Sioux Falls or Minnesota State.

The Vikings made it tough on the Warriors early, as Caitlin Nichol smacked a leadoff home run off WSU starter Ashley Walker for a quick 1-0 lead. Things got worse for Winona State, as a single, followed by a Lexi Perez fielding error and a hit batter loaded the bases with still nobody out. That set up back-to-back RBI infield singles from Carly Peterson and Jordan Schaffer to make it 3-0 with the bases still loaded.

The Warriors prevented more damage from being done as Walker forced a pair of fielder's choices that resulted in outs at home plate. But an Ashley Walker wild pitch brought home a run to make it 4-0 before the inning would end with a strikeout.

From that point on, Walker was dominant and the Warriors would settle down and mount their comeback.

After two straight one-two-three innings for the WSU offense, the Warriors were able to cut the lead in half in the top of the third. Natalie Kalmes opened the inning by drawing a four-pitch walk. Paige Keegan then produced a single up the middle to put runners on the corners. After Perez walked to load the bases, Reed Karsten put the Warriors on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly to score Kalmes and make it a 4-1 score.

Clutch two-out hitting by Walker then brought home Keegan to bring the score to a more-manageable 4-2.

With Walker settled into a groove with a three-up, three-down bottom of the third, the Warriors continued their comeback in the fourth inning. McKenna Larsen led off the inning with a single and eventually scored when a wild pitch scored her from third to bring the Warriors to within one at 4-3. After a Keegan walk, the Warriors had forced Augustana to remove NSIC Pitcher of the Year Jenelle Trautmann from the game in favor of Carley Pickett.

The Warriors were beneficiaries of a pair of errors to tie it up and eventually pull ahead. Kalmes scored when the Vikings shortstop was charged with a fielding error that allowed Lexi Perez to reach. She then went to second when the catcher misfired on a throw that scored Keegan and handed the Warriors a 5-4 lead.

After another perfect inning from Walker, the Warriors scored for the third straight inning and added an insurance run when a Jessica Kullmann bunt scored Walker on another unearned run for a 6-4 lead.

Augustana would pose no threat after the second inning, as Walker (21-4) retired the last 16 batters of the game. The last Viking to reach base was Trautmann's fielder's choice with two outs in the top of the second.

Walker and Larsen each went 2-for-4 in the game, while Walker, Karsten and Kullmann were credited with one RBI apiece.