WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University softball team continued it's winning ways on Sunday, defeating the Bemidji State Beavers twice behind a pair of standout pitching efforts and timely hitting.
WSU defeated BSU 7-2 in game one and 5-1 in game two to stretch their NSIC winning streak to four games. With the sweep, Winona State has now defeated the Beavers in 25 of 26 contests dating back to April 3, 2009. Scheduled originally as road games but played in Winona due to weather conditions in Bemidji, WSU was the visiting team in both contests.
Game One
Liz Pautz, just one week removed from throwing a perfect game against the University of Sioux Falls on April 2, took the circle in the opener against the Beavers and scattered four hits across seven innings for her 14th win of the season. Pautz struck out 13 hitters, walked only two and retired the side in order in the second, third and fourth frames.
After Bemidji State took a 1-0 lead after one inning of play, Winona State responded through
Carly Engelhardt who blasted a solo home run in the second inning to tie the game at 1-1. In the third,
Brianna Luciano doubled to open up the inning and later scored on a
Sam Keller sacrifice.
Abbie Hlas then hit another double to get aboard, just in time for
Rylee Stout to hit a two-run blast to give the Warriors a 4-1 lead.
In her next at bat, Engelhardt hit her second home run of the game, extending the Warrior lead to 5-1 and chasing Beaver starter Kyla Damerow from the contest. BSU would go on to add one more run in the bottom of the fifth inning, but Winona State responded in the top of the sixth, when
Ann Smolenski hit a two-run home run, scoring herself and pinch-runner
Corinna Loshek.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, BSU threatened to spark a rally when they got two baserunners aboard with no outs, but solid Warrior defense negated the threat with three successive stellar defensive plays to end the game.
At the plate, Winona State was led by Engelhardt who went 3-for-3 with two home runs, while
Rylee Stout was 2-for-4 with a homer.
Abbie Hlas was 2-for-4 as well, and as a team, WSU scored seven runs on ten hits and committed one error.
Game Two
After a strong outing at the plate in game one,
Abbie Hlas moved to the pitchers circle in game two and - in going 3-for-4 at the plate - had as many hits herself in the nightcap as the Beavers managed against her. Hlas struck out four BSU batters while scattering three hits over seven innings of work, racking up her second complete game victory of the weekend and sixth win of the season.
Hlas and her BSU counterpart, Kaidron McClafferty, combined for a pitcher's duel in the first three frames of the game, with both starters handling the opponent's lineup with ease. It was not until the fourth inning that a baserunner reached second base, a feat accomplished by Hlas who led off the inning with a double. When
Marissa Mullen singled to left field, Hlas scored, breaking the 0-0 deadlock.
WSU doubled their one-run lead in the fifth inning when back-to-back singles by
Cammi Riemer and
Sam Keller resulted in Riemer running home. A
Brianna Luciano bunt to advance Riemer to second base was key to the Warrior score.
Bemidji State got on the board with one run in the bottom of the fifth, but a big sixth frame by Winona State put the game out of reach. Riemer, Luciano and Keller each contributed base hits to the breakout inning, as the Warriors scored three runs to move their advantage to 5-1 after six. Hlas remained dialed in on the day, retiring Bemidji State in order in the bottom of the seventh for the win.
Offensively, WSU saw doubles by Keller, Hlas and Riemer provide the power in the game, as the Warriors racked up 11 hits overall. BSU's pitching tandem of McClafferty and reliever Stella Dolan did not walk a Warrior and became just the second pitching staff to hold WSU to zero home runs in a game since April 2.
With the sweep, Winona State moves to 22-10 overall and 8-2 in NSIC play.
Winona State is next scheduled to host Concordia University, St. Paul on Tuesday, April 12. The Warriors and Golden Bears are set to play two, with first pitch set for 2 p.m. at Maynard R. Johnson Field in Winona.
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.
