ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The No. 16 Winona State softball team exploded for a combined 26 runs and 29 hits to earn a sweep of Missouri Southern and Emporia State on the final day of the Apple Market Classic. WSU defeated MSSU 14-1 before beating ESU 12-4.

GAME ONE: WSU 14, Missouri Southern 1

The Warriors scored in every inning to cruise to a big win over the Lions. Natalie Kalmes opened the scoring in a three-run first inning with a sacrifice flyout to score Jamee Schleis. Chelsey Rodenkirch later came around to score on a muffed throw before an RBI single from Mariah Schultz gave the Warriors a 3-0 lead.

The Warriors extended the lead to 5-0 in the second when McKenna Larsen was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Paige Keegan was walked in the following at bat. A solo home run in the bottom of the inning put the Lions on the board, but it's all they would muster in the game. Rodenkirch singled home a run in the third, Reed Karsten brought home two with a double in the fourth and the Warriors had an 8-1 lead.

The lead would grow considerably with a six-run fifth inning to put the game away. Paige Keegan had a 2 RBI single up the middle, Schultz brought home Larsen with a single to center, Keegan scored on a fielding error, Jordan Petersen singled home Schultz and Katie Schlegel singled home Cassie Santiago to run away with the 14-1 win.

Hanna Lythberg improved to 9-2 in the circle, allowing just three hits and one run with four strikeouts.

GAME TWO: WSU 12, Emporia State 4

Natalie Kalmes went 4-for-4 with 5 RBI in the nightcap to lead the Warriors to another shortened win. The Warriors wasted little time continuing their offensive output from game one, scoring seven runs in the first inning. Kalmes started the scoring with a two-run single to center field, Mariah Schultz scored two with a right field double, Lani Van Zyl doubled to left center to score two more and Reed Karsten singled home Van Zyl to open up the commanding 7-0 lead.

Emporia State scored a pair in the top of the second, but Kalmes homered in the bottom of the frame to make it 8-2. Emporia State plated one in the third and kept WSU off the board – the only inning of the day in which the Warriors failed to score, but WSU added a run in the fourth with an RBI single from Keegan to make it 9-3.

A wild pitch allowed an ESU run to cross in the fifth, but Kalmes came up with two more RBI in the bottom of the inning with a single to center and Larsen finished off the Hornets in the sixth with a home run to center to end it with the 12-4 win.

Alex Walker (4-1) pitched four innings to earn the win, allowing just three hits but three earned runs with three walks and three strikeouts, while Larsen pitched two perfect innings with three strikeouts in relief.

Winona State (18-5) opens NSIC play Tuesday – moved up a day from Wednesday due to weather in the forecast – with a doubleheader against Upper Iowa at 2 p.m. in Fayette.