CLERMONT, Fla. – After their off day yesterday, the Warriors responded with a pair of victories on Thursday afternoon. Winona State (14-3) won 10-0 in five innings over Bentley before beating Grand Valley State 2-0.
Vs Bentley
The game did not see much offense early as the first two innings saw four hits and zero runs. Winona State left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first. Bentley also had a chance to score early, putting a pair of runners on but failing to score.
After Bentley left two more on in the top of third, WSU scored the game's first run in the bottom of the inning.
Katelyn Kolb led off with a double and then scored on
McKenna Larsen's one out double to left.
Bentley again left a pair of runners on in the fourth. Winona State would explode in their half inning, scoring four runs on two hits and two errors.
Paige Keegan led off the inning with a single to left. Following a sac bunt,
Mariah Schultz drew a walk to put runners on first and second.
Shaye Witte would drive in pinch runner
McKenna Gutt with a single. An error on the play allowed Schultz to score. After Kolb drew a walk, she stole second and the throw down was off allowing Witte to score. Kolb scored the final run of the inning on a sac fly off the bat of Larsen, giving Winona State a 5-0 lead.
Winona State would put the game away in the fifth.
Cassie Santiago pinch-hit and doubled to right field, driving in
Allyson O'Herron. Later in the inning, Witte drove in Schultz with a single up the middle. The game ended when
Jamee Schleis homered to left field driving in Kolb, Witte and herself.
Jaida Reynen earned the win, throwing five innings and striking out seven. Reynen scattered four hits and needed 100 pitches to earn the shutout victory.
Vs Grand Valley State
After a quiet first inning Grand Valley put pressure on in the second inning. Back-to-back singles produced the first true scoring opportunity for either team. After a fielder's choice and sacrifice, the runners sat on second and third with two outs. A ground ball to second halted the threat. Winona State's
Paige Keegan started the bottom of the second with a single; she would be forced out on a fielder's choice. After
Allyson O'Herron reached on a single to left the Warriors had a runner in scoring position. Following a strikeout,
Shaye Witte singled up the middle;
Samantha McLean tried to score but was out at the plate, ending the scoring chance.
In the bottom of the third Winona State would break through.
Katelyn Kolb doubled to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch with one out. Kolb came home to score on a ground out by
McKenna Larsen. Immediately after the RBI ground out,
Lani Van Zyl connected on a homer to left center.
The offenses went quiet following the brief outburst by the Warriors. The Lakers had a hit in the fourth but there were no scoring chances until the top of the sixth. Larsen worked out of a runners on first and third jam to keep the Warriors up 2-0.
The Warriors went down in order in the sixth and the lead stayed at two. The Lakers got a runner on with a one out walk but could do nothing with it as the Warriors held on for the victory.
Larsen earned the shutout win, pitching around five hits and a walk. O'Herron finished with two hits to lead WSU.
The trip to Florida comes to a close tomorrow when the Warriors take on Cedarville and Northwood.
