ROCHESTER, Minn. – All good things must come to an end. And on Friday afternoon in the NSIC Tournament, Winona State University's remarkable 31-game winning streak was put to rest by the narrowest margin in a 1-0 setback to Minnesota State Mankato.
The season is far from over however, as the Warriors responded to their first loss since March 23rd with a decisive 8-1 victory over Minnesota Duluth later in the day. The loss for Duluth might have put and end to the Bulldogs' season but that will be determined on Monday during the NCAA Division II Softball Championship Selection Show. WSU knows it will have a spot in the DII Regional, but that's the furthest thing from the Warriors' minds with aspirations of a conference tournament title repeat still within reach.
Long-standing rivals Winona State and Minnesota Mankato combined for just five hits in Friday's opener as Jordyn Kleman and Mackenzie Ward each went the distance in a pitcher's duel. In the end, a fourth inning sacrifice fly proved to be the game-winner for the Mavericks.
Fresh off her Thursday heroics, Katie Kolb led off the bottom of the first with a rocket to left field against Ward and the Warriors looked to be in business immediately. Ward had other ideas as the sophomore proceeded to sit down 10 straight WSU batters, including eight punchouts.
For Winona State, Kleman cruised through the top of the first inning, worked around a one-out walk in the second and struck out a pair in the third frame as she matched Ward pitch-for-pitch. The Mavericks finally broke through with a leadoff single in the top of the fourth which ultimately came around to score the lone run of the affair.
Kleman (25-2) suffered just her second loss of the year and first in over a month. The junior right-hander scattered just three hits and struck out seven batters.
Ward struck out the side in the seventh to finish her masterpiece with 13 strikeouts, a season-high for WSU, with Ann Smolenski's one-out single in the frame standing as the only other Warrior hit in the tilt.
Less than two years removed from their NCAA Division II National Championship, Mankato certainly made its statement as a team to be reckoned with in the tournament and regional with their 15th consecutive victory.
With the program's longest winning streak finally at an end, the Warriors suddenly found themselves facing elimination against Minnesota Duluth just 30 minutes removed from the Mankato loss.
Liz Pautz stepped into the circle for the first time during the tournament and answered the call with a three-hit gem against the Duluth Bulldogs. UMD did lead in the game after a solo homer in the top of the fourth, but the Winona State offense back its sophomore starter with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame and never looked back.
Seeking their first run of the day, Kayla Kerkman sparked a one-out rally in the fourth with a bunt single. Lani Van Zyl followed with a double to left field that nearly left the yard before Alison Nowak's RBI-single knotted the score. Van Zyl came around to score on a wild pitch later in the inning to give WSU a 2-1 edge.
Pautz worked a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the fifth and the Warrior offense officially took over from there.
Still locked in a one-run game in the bottom of the fifth, WSU looked to play small ball after a leadoff walk by Rylee Stout. Jen Giesey was unable to put a sacrifice bunt down on her first two attempts, and instead belted a two-run homer to center field. Nowak added a two-run double in the frame ahead of Alexis Kelsey's two-run blast after the slugging first baseman put together an outstanding at bat to make it an 8-1 difference on the scoreboard.
Pautz (18-2) went on to strike out 11 batters as the Warriors successfully survived elimination to play another day.
Winona State will need to run the gauntlet on Saturday afternoon with four wins to capture its second straight tournament championship. But, for a team that just rattled off 31-straight victories, four in one day doesn't seem all that improbable.
The Warriors will square off against St. Cloud State on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. to begin the final day of the NSIC Tournament.
