WINONA, Minn. – Winona State University head softball coach Greg Jones said he questioned his team's toughness entering the 2019 campaign. When the dust settled on the Warriors' 53-win season on Saturday evening following a 3-2 loss to Augustana University, there was no longer any doubt.
"All year long, this team continued to grow. Their teamwork, their toughness and tenacity were on full display not just today, but for the entirety of this season. They always found a way," he said in his postgame interview flanked by seniors Katie Schlegel and Lani Van Zyl.
Earlier in the day, Van Zyl delivered the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh inning for a 2-1 victory over Augustana to force the final game of the 2019 NCAA Central Region 2 Tournament. It was the sixth walk-off win of the season for the resilient Warriors and second in as many weeks against Augie to set up the seventh head-to-head matchup against the Vikings for the sub-regional championship.
Winona State owned a 4-3 record in those seven meetings this season, but Augustana claimed the final, and most important, victory on Saturday to advance to the NCAA Super Regional by the narrowest of margins, 3-2.
Aiding by their record-breaking 31-game winning streak this year, the Warriors (53-9) set a new program record for wins in a season. Jones notched his 800th career win at Winona State with the game one triumph.
On a day filled with milestones, Jordyn Kleman also made history with her 29th win of the season – setting a new single-season record. The junior, whose name is already plastered throughout the WSU record book, went the distance in the opening ballgame, allowing just one run on four hits over 7.0 IP. Kleman pitched the final five innings of game two in a relief effort.
Playing as the visitors in the finale, the Warriors picked up right where they left off in game one, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Katie Kolb led off the game with her first of four walks in the tilt and scored on an RBI-single by Van Zyl.
The Vikings answered back with a solo homer in the bottom of the first inning and took a 2-1 lead in the third frame. A solo homer run off the bat of Alexis Kelsey knotted the score at 2-2 in the top of the fourth before Augustana responded in the bottom of the inning with what proved to be the game-winning run.
The Warriors had their chances in game two, stranding 10 runners on base, including a pair of bases-loaded situations, but it just wasn't meant to be for Winona State.
Over the past four seasons, Winona State has won two regular season conference titles, one postseason crown, and appeared in the NCAA Regional three times while posting a record of 185-46 (94-15 NSIC) under the leadership of Schlegel and Van Zyl, who will be, "impossible to replace," Jones said.
"Culture will win you more games than strategy, all the X's and O's don't matter if you don't have good people," he added. "Katie is the spirit of who we are as a team. She has a smile and a high-five for everybody she meets. It's who she is as a person that will always be remember. And, while Lani's records and accolades will live on forever in the record book, Lani the person is everything you can ask for as a head coach. These two have been pillars of this program, of this University and of this community, and I couldn't be more proud of them."
