Winona, Minn. - A pair of dominant pitching performances and a clutch hit from a freshman was the difference on the day for the Winona State University softball team Saturday.
Jordyn Kleman earned the ninth no-hitter of her career against Bemidji State in game one of the NSIC doubleheader, leading the Warriors to an 8-0 victory.
Liz Pautz owned the circle in the second half of the doubleheader, throwing a two-hit shutout in a 3-0 win in game two.
Sam Keller's three-run home run in the nightcap was all the scoring WSU would need to claim the second win of the afternoon and earn the sweep at Maynard Johnson Field in Winona, Minn.
Game One
Jordyn Kleman's first no-hitter of the season came against Bemidji State on March 3 in a 10-0 whitewash of the Beavers in a neutral-site matchup. Forty-five days later, she did it again.
Kleman stuck out thirteen BSU batters on the way to her second no-hitter of the season and ninth of her career. The only blip for the standout senior on the day was a hit batter; the Beaver's Lisa Kossan was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning. Kossan eventually reached third base in the inning due to a Warrior error in the infield, but it was the closest Bemidji State would come to scoring.
Offensively, the WSU lineup provided strong run support, scoring once in the first inning, and piling on six more runs in the third. An eighth tally in the bottom of the fifth ended the game for Winona State.
The day at the plate started well for Winona State, as
Libby Neveau added to her team leading 29 RBIs with a ground ball that scored
Katie Kolb. The first-inning score would have been enough on the day with Kleman's dialed-in performance, but the sixth inning saw
Abbie Hlas hit her fourth home run of the season, a solo shot that jump-started the Warrior inning.
Following Hlas' round-trip effort,
Teaghen Amwoza plated Ali Nowak on a sacrifice fly and a
Carly Kordich single with the bases loaded scored
Ann Smolenski,
Rylee Stout and
Sam Keller after a throwing error.
Katie Kolb completed the high scoring third stanza with a double, bringing Kordich home and moving the margin to 7-0 in favor of Winona State.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Warriors needed one run to invoke the eight run / five inning rule and
Ann Smolenski delivered with a double that brought Amwoza home, ending the game.
For Kleman, her ninth career no-hitter, and 87th career win set a new bar in both areas; the La Crosse Logan High School product owns the Warrior No. 1 spot in both categories.
Game Two
Liz Pautz took the circle in game two and found herself matched with a BSU's Stephi Dullum, who brought her 'A' game for BSU. For the Warriors however, Pautz was even better, throwing a two-hit gem in an old-fashioned pitching duel won by Winona State, 3-0.
With both pitchers in the groove, hits, baserunners and scoring chances were few and far between. Pautz walked only one Beaver, as did Dullum, while the Warrior pitcher rang up 13 strikeouts on the day. Dullum struck out four Warriors.
The bottom of the sixth inning saw
Alison Nowak reach base on a fielder's choice after a
Abbie Hlas single.
Rylee Stout follow up with a single of her own, providing multiple baserunners for just the second time in the game for either team.
With the table set, freshman
Sam Keller owned the moment, hitting a Dullum delivery over the fence in center field, and earning the only RBIs of the game.
With the three-run advantage, Pautz went to work in the top of the seventh, striking out the Beaver side to win the game for head coach
Greg Jones and his team.
The sweep of Bemidji State moved the Warriors to a 21-6 overall mark and 10-4 NSIC ledger. WSU will put their four-game winning streak on the line tomorrow, Sunday April 18, when they host Minnesota Crookston. Game times are set for noon and 2pm.
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.
