CLERMONT, Fla. – No. 25 Winona State University settled for a doubleheader split on its final day in the Sunshine State Thursday after a dominant week that saw the Warriors return to the NCAA Top 25 while riding an 11-game winning streak.
Jordyn Kleman blanked Slippery Rock University on Thursday morning, 7-0, before Winona State was tripped up in its final game by the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, 6-4. The Warriors won nine of 10 games at the Spring Games a year removed from sweeping all 10 games at the same tournament.
Kleman (6-0) tossed her third shutout of the year against Slippery Rock while allowing just three hits. The junior struck out eight batters over 7.0 IP and racked up 33 punchouts over 27.2 IP over six appearances in Florida.
WSU and Slippery Rock were locked in a scoreless stalemate until the Warrior offense broke out for seven runs over the final two frames. Katie Kolb broke the scoring seal with an RBI-single in the bottom of the fifth which was the first of three unearned runs in the inning. Two batters later, Lani Van Zyl connected on a run-scoring single to right field and Alison Nowak pushed across Kayla Kerman to make it a 3-0 ballgame.
Ann Smolenski led off the sixth with a single and a one-out single by Carly Kordich put runners on the corners. A bunt single by Kolb chased home Smolenski and Van Zyl stretched the WSU lead to 6-0 with a two-run single. Alexis Kelsey tacked on an RBI-single before the inning came to an end and Kleman shut the door on Slippery Rock in the seventh.
Van Zyl extended her four-RBI day in the top of the first inning later that afternoon against Pitt-Johnstown with a run-scoring single to stake Katie Schlegel and the Warriors to a 1-0 lead. The Mountain Cats answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to take a 2-1 lead before the flood gates opened in the second inning.
After issuing a leadoff walk, Schlegel retired the next two batters she faced before inducing what should have been an inning-ending groundout to third base. However, a Warrior error, the first of two in the inning, gave the Mountain Cats extra life which they immediately capitalized. Pitt-Johnstown plated four unearned runs in the frame to take extend its lead to 6-1.
Winona State chipped away at its deficit in the very next inning, but was unable to climb all the way back in the Warriors' first loss since February 22nd.
Van Zyl led off the top of the third with a double to center field and promptly scored on a double by Nowak. Two batters later, Smolenski launched her second homer in as many days to cut the Mountain Cat lead to 6-3, but the Warriors were unable to score again for the remainder of the contest.
Winona State put together a valiant comeback bid in the top of the seventh as Rylee Stout and Smolenski each singled with one out. Both runners moved into scoring position with two outs with the go-ahead run at the plate, but Megan Kappauf's hot shot to third base resulted in a game-ending groundout.
In her first start of the season, Kappauf did go 2-for-4 at the plate. In the circle, Jaida Reynen did not allow a Mountain Cat to reach base over 4.1 IP in relief with three strikeouts.
The Warriors will return home with a record of 13-3 and are scheduled to return to action next weekend with five games at the Missouri Western Hy-Vee Classic on March 22-24.
