Springfield, IL – The Winona State softball team was on fire Tuesday afternoon, scoring a combined 25 runs on 25 hits to sweep the Prairie Stars of Illinois-Springfield. WSU used a 7-run fourth inning to cruise to a 12-3 win in the first game, while 12 runs over the fourth and fifth innings were more than enough to propel the Warriors to a 13-1 victory in game two.
Game one
After a scoreless first inning for both teams, WSU used UIS miscues to their advantage to plate the first three runs of the game. After a walk and a wild pitch,
Abbie Hlas hit a two-RBI triple to score
Sam Keller and
Ann Smolenski.
Carly Kordich hit a sac-fly in the very next at-bat to score Hlas and make it a 3-0 game.
In the top of the third inning,
Libby Neveau hit a monster home run to score Ali Nowak and put WSU up 5-0.
The Warriors came alive in the fourth inning to put the game away. Winona State scored their first two runs of the inning on walks with the bases loaded. After a new UIS pitcher came in, Nowak hit a three-RBI double to extend the Warriors lead to 10-2. Neveau continued her hot streak in the very next at bat, hitting a triple to score Nowak. The final run of the game was scored by Neveau after an error in the outfield.
Senior
Jordyn Kleman (4-0) was lights out as she struck out a season high nine to pick up her fourth win of the young season.
Neveau and Hlas each went 2-for-3 in the win, with Neveau picking up three RBI's.
Game Two
In the second matchup with UIS the Warriors outhit their Illinois opponents by an incredible 18-2 margin, leading to the 12-run victory.
Rylee Stout opened the scoring up in the third inning with a bases loaded single to score
Brianna Luciano.
After an
Ann Smolenski single and a
Sam Keller double to start the inning, Luciano hit a two-RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0. Later in the inning Ali Nowak hit a two-RBI single to bring home two more, which was then followed by
Libby Neveau's second long bomb of the day to make it a 7-0 WSU lead after four.
Winona State continued their scoring trend in the fifth inning, putting up six more runs to close the game out. Hlas singled home Keller early on to make it an 8-0 ballgame.
Katie Kolb then scored Luciano with an RBI single of her own. Not to be outdone, in the very next at bat
Rylee Stout hit a two-RBI double to score both Hlas and Kolb. Freshman Maci Brodin closed the game out for the Warriors by getting her first hit of her career on a two-RBI single to make it a 13-1 Warriors lead.
Liz Pautz (1-0) was phenomenal in the win, allowing just two hits while striking out nine in a complete game victory.
Kolb, Stout, and Luciano all tallied three hits in the win. Stout led the way with three RBI's.
For the day, the seniors led the way with Kolb going 4-for-6 with two RBI's and Ali Nowak going 3-for-6 with five RBI's.
The Warriors won't have much time to celebrate their victories as they travel even farther south to take on the University of Missouri-St. Louis tomorrow in STL. First pitch for the opening game is set for 1 p.m.
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
