St. Louis, Mo. - The Winona State University softball team - who moved up to #15 in today's National Fastpitch Coach Association (NFCA) poll - continued their winning ways on Wednesday, sweeping the University of Missouri - St. Louis in a mid-afternoon double-header.
The Warriors (8 - 0 / 0 - 0 NSIC) beat the Tritons (5 - 9 / 0 - 0 GLVC), with
Jordyn Kleman in the circle in a 3-1 opening victory and saw
Liz Pautz pitch her best game of the year in a 6 - 0 shutout in the nightcap. The sweep, combined with yesterday's pair of wins over the University of Illinois - Springfield, polishes off a successful road trip for head coach
Greg Jones and his team.
Game One
Winona State scored three runs in third inning of game one, and the outburst proved to be all that was needed, as
Jordyn Kleman cruised comfortably in the pitching circle against the Tritons. Kleman scattered nine UMSL hits over seven innings in the complete game win; she struck out ten and did not concede a walk in the outing.
Kleman's counterpart, UMSL's Jenna Towle, proved to be a tough puzzle to solve for Warrior batters as she held WSU to just eight hits and struck out eight. However a one-out
Brianna Luciano single and
Abbie Hlas walk set the table for
Katie Kolb to drive the pair in with a double to right center. Moments later,
Alison Nowak drove in Hlas on a single, accounting for three WSU runs in the inning. It was all the runs WSU was able to muster, but all they needed with Kleman's control.
With one out in their last at-bats, UMSL's Annie Scaramuzzi hit a solo home run in the bottom of the 7th, one of only two extra-base hits the Tritons had against Kleman. After conceding a single to the next UMSL batter, Kleman finished her fourth start of the year start by striking out Jenna Towle and then forcing UMSL's McKenzie Lamos into a ground out to end the game.
In game one, WSU was led by
Marissa Mullen who went 2-for-3, while
Katie Kolb,
Rylee Stout,
Alison Nowak,
Ann Smolenski,
Sam Keller and
Brianna Luciano had one hit apiece.
Game Two
Liz Pautz produced a four-hit gem in the back half of the doubleheader, striking out ten Tritons in the complete game win and Winona State jumped out in front early, with a three-run first inning followed by two-run second stanza.
Libby Neveau homered in her first at-bat of the game with
Katie Kolb and
Sam Keller on base, accounting for the first three Warrior runs of the contest. WSU's patience at the plate paid off in the second inning as well. With two outs, back-to-back walks earned by Kolb and Keller set the table and
Alison Nowak drove them in with a single to right.
Up 5-0 after two just two innings, Winona State remained in the drivers seat the rest of way, adding an unearned run in the fifth on pair of Triton miscues and Marrisa Mullen picked up an RBI when
Kayla Kerkman scored on a fielders choice.
UMSL spoiled the shutout in the bottom of the sixth when McKenzie Lamos hit a two-run homer for her team. However, the long drive to center was the only threat to the Warriors, as Pautz promptly retired the final batter of the inning, and sent the side down in order in the seventh.
Pautz finished the Warrior win with four hits allowed, no walks and twelve strikeouts, including two K's in the bottom of the seventh. The complete game victory pushed the Pulaski, Wis. product to 4-0 on the year and extended the Warriors winning streak to 10-0, dating back to last season when Winona State won their final four games of the 2020 campaign.
Winona State is now off until March 19-21, when they travel south again for the Missouri Western Hy-Vee Classic hosted by Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo.
For the most up to date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.
About Winona State University Athletics:
The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words: Graduate Champions.
Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.
Media Contact: Pete Watkins, Director of Athletic Communications | Ph: 507.457.5577 | Email: pwatkins@winona.edu
