MARSHALL, Minn. – Senior Hanna Lythberg tossed her second no-hitter of the season as the Winona State softball team concluded the regular season with a sweep of Southwest Minnesota State Sunday afternoon in Marshall, Minn. Lythberg's gem helped the Warriors to a 2-0 win in game one and the Warriors would go on to win the nightcap 7-2.
With the no-hitter – the 19th in program history – Lythberg, who also pitched a five-inning no-no at St. Cloud State earlier this season, became the third Winona State pitcher ever to record multiple no-hitters in a career. Former Warriors Courtney Strang and Stacey Struzynski each twirled five while at WSU.
More impressively, Lythberg became the first pitcher in Winona State history to toss an extra-inning no-hitter. Only four no-hitters previously had went the full seven innings.
Lythberg nearly became just the second player in WSU's history to throw a perfect game, as only a hit batter with two outs in the bottom of the seventh stood between her and that feat.
The Warriors needed her phenomenal effort in the circle, as neither team was able to muster any offense through seven innings. But WSU finally broke through in the top of the eighth when Paige Keegan picked up an infield single which set up the eventual game-winning triple from Natalie Kalmes to score pinch runner Tayler Oberman. Kalmes then scored on a McKenna Larsen groundout to add an insurance run for a 2-0 lead.
That was plenty for Lythberg, who pitched a perfect bottom of the eighth to complete the no-hit win.
Lythberg struck out a season-high 10 batters in the hitless performance to up her record to 17-9 on the season.
GAME TWO: WSU 7, SMSU 2
WSU continued to struggle offensively in game two for much of the game, going hitless through four innings to trail the Mustangs 1-0. But the WSU bats came alive in the fifth inning, scoring seven runs to open up a 7-1 lead.
After Lani Van Zyl, Allyson O'Herron and Shannon Nelson reached base with one out in the inning, Reed Karsten produced a two-run double to left center to put the Warriors in front 2-1. Jamee Schleis followed with an RBI bunt single and a fielder's choice from Paige Keegan scored Karsten for a 4-1 lead.
WSU wasn't done yet, as a base hit by Natalie Kalmes kept the inning going, allowing a two-run triple by McKenna Larsen, who would then score on an RBI single from Van Zyl to up the lead to 7-1.
SMSU would get one back in the bottom of the inning, but the Warriors cruised to the 7-2 win.
McKenna Larsen earned her sixth consecutive victory in the circle to improve to 12-3 on the season, scattering eight hits through seven innings with just one earned run allowed with four strikeouts.
Winona State opens NSIC Tournament play on Thursday in Sioux Falls, S.D. with the full NSIC bracket set to be released on Monday.
