ROCHESTER, Minn. – The No. 10 Winona State softball swept its season-opening doubleheader Tuesday, scoring 6-2, 12-3 victories over Grand View University in Rochester.

GAME ONE: WSU 6, GVU 2

The Warriors used a four-run third inning to strike first in the opener. With the bases loaded with help from singles by Allyson O'Herron and Reed Karsten, senior Chelsey Rodenkirch in her Warrior debut came up with a two-run single down the right field line. Jamee Schleis then added a two-run single up the middle to extend the early lead to 4-0.

Grand View got on the board with a run in the fourth, but WSU added a couple more in the fifth with an RBI single from Mariah Schultz – also making her WSU debut – and one from freshman Lani Van Zyl to make it 6-1. Grand View scored its second run in the top of the seventh, but WSU cruised to the 6-2 win.

O'Herron and Karsten each had two hits in the opener, while NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year Hanna Lythberg earned her first win of the year, giving up two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts.

GAME TWO: WSU 12, GVU 3 (5 inn.)

Winona State scored early and often in the nightcap, scoring in all but one inning to end game two early with a 12-3 victory.

Rodenkirch hugged the right field line successfully for the second time of the day to open the game two scoring, recording an RBI triple. She'd later score on an RBI by Paige Keegan and the Warriors would shortly after score an unearned run with savvy baserunning by McKenna Larsen.

A sacrifice fly by Karsten and an RBI single from Rodenkirch – one of her four RBI on the day – put WSU up 5-0, but the Vikings added three unanswered runs to pull within 5-3 after the top of the fourth. But Grand View wouldn't be within striking distance for long, as Van Zyl hit an RBI double in the bottom of the fourth to make it 6-3 and the Warriors put up a six spot in the bottom of the fifth to enact the eight-run rule, as Larsen ended it with a 3-run double to left center to plate Karsten, Shannon Nelson and Jordan Petersen.

Larsen earned her first career win in the circle, pitching 2 1/3 innings in relief of starter Alex Walker. Larsen gave up two hits and one earned run with a walk. Walker, meanwhile, gave up a pair of runs on two hits with four walks and a strikeout.

Winona State hosts the NSIC/MIAA crossover tournament in Rochester on Friday and Saturday, where it will play Pittsburg State and Washburn Friday at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. before facing Pittsburg State and Northwest Missouri at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.