WINONA, Minn. – No. 7 Winona State University concluded the regular season on an 11-game winning streak after sweeping Northern State University on Sunday afternoon at Maynard R. Johnson Field to claim the 2018 NSIC Softball Championship.
It marks the Warriors' fourth NSIC regular season title and first since 2007. Winona State (41-5, 20-2 NSIC) reaches the 40-win plateau for the 12th time in program history – each coming under head coach Greg Jones.
The Warriors came from behind in both ballgames on Sunday, rallying for a 2-1 victory in the opener and blasting a pair of home runs late in the finale for a 7-3 triumph.
Northern State plated its lone run of game one off Jordyn Kleman in the top of the second inning after a leadoff single and sacrifice bunt put a runner in scoring position. Kleman looked poised to escape the threat after fanning the next batter she faced for the second out of the inning. Northern's Courtney Sjerven followed with a sharp line drive up the middle that Kleman knocked down and after scrambling to corral the ball, fired to first for what appeared to be the final out of the frame. However, Sjerven was called safe on a bang-bang play while the first run of the day crossed home plate.
The Warriors responded in the bottom of the third when Katelyn Kolb's bunt single sparked a rally. Mariah Schultz followed with a perfectly placed sacrifice attempted that also resulted in a base hit. A single up the middle by Lani Van Zyl loaded the bases and Alison Nowak tied the game with a sac fly. McKenna Larsen chased home the go-ahead run with a groundout.
With a 2-1 lead in her back pocket, Kleman mowed through the Northern lineup over the final four frames. Kleman (17-1) allowed just two hits from there and ended the game with 14 strikeouts – one shy of her career high. The sophomore has recorded double-digit strikeouts without issuing a walk in consecutive outings and raised her NSIC-leading punchout total to 142 on the year.
Another pitcher's duel followed in the finale with Larsen and Northern's Jamie Fisher toeing the rubber for the second straight contest. Fisher entered the day leading the NSIC in wins (21), but Winona State tagged her for a pair of losses on Sunday.
Once again, the Wolves struck first in the ballgame looking to come away with a sweep from the conference champs. Northern State plated an unearned run in the top of the second, but the resilient Warriors again showed their resolve with clutch hits in the late innings.
Jen Giesey, who hit the ball hard all afternoon but was held hitless in the opener, was finally rewarded with a double to deep center with one out in the fourth frame. Two batters later, with two out, Samantha McLean roped an RBI-double down the left field line to knot the score at 1-1.
Still locked in a stalemate in the fifth inning, Winona State produced yet another two-out rally. After Fisher recorded two quick outs, Nowak, Larsen and Rylee Stout strung together three consecutive singles to center field. Giesey followed with the biggest blow of the day – a go-ahead grand slam to left field. The back-breaking homer was the first of her collegiate career and gave WSU a 5-1 lead in the blink of an eye.
Van Zyl added a towering two-run homer in the sixth inning to pad the Warrior lead to 7-1. Her career-best 11th long ball accounted for her 53rd and 54th RBI of the season. The junior leads the NSIC in batting average (.470) and slugging (.808).
After being hit by a pitch in her final at-bat in the sixth, Larsen returned to the mound to put the finishing touches on her 44th career complete game. However, the Wolves didn't make it easy on the senior. Despite a pair of Northern State runs in the seventh, Larsen (15-4) finished the job for her 52nd career victory.
Northern State concludes the regular season at 28-20 (18-10 NSIC) and will be the five seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
Currently ranked No. 1 in the NCAA DII Central Region, the regular season champion Warriors will be the top seed in the NSIC Tournament which is slated for May 3-5 in Sioux Falls, S.D. Winona State's first round opponent is yet to be determined, but the ballgame will be played at Bowden Field at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 3.
The winner of the NSIC Tournament receives at automatic bid to the NCAA Central Region Tournament. The 42-team central region is made up from teams from the NSIC, Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) and the Great American Conference (GAC). Automatic bids are awarded to the tournament champions from each conference with the final five spots awarded on an at-large basis to comprise the eight-team field. The NSIC currently has seven teams ranked in the most recent central region top 10.
