WINONA, Minn. - The Winona State University softball team will host the University of Minnesota Duluth today, Friday April 15, in a NSIC doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. at Maynard R. Johnson Field in Winona. The twin bill is the front half of a key NSIC weekend for the Warriors who host St. Cloud State on Saturday.
Originally scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., the WSU - UMD contests this afternoon will start one hour later to take advantage of warming temperatures.
The Warriors are coming off a strong showing last weekend, earning back-to-back sweeps over Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State. Winona State welcomed a balanced effort of standout pitching and timely hitting in knocking of the Golden Eagles 8-0 and 15-0 while dispatching the Beavers, 7-2 and 5-1.
WSU earned consecutive shutouts for the first time in 2022 in the pair of routs over UMC and saw a home run barrage on Sunday, with
Rylee Stout and
Ann Smolenski hitting a homer apiece and
Carly Engelhardt two home runs in the 7-2 win over BSU. The Winona State pitching tandem of
Liz Pautz and
Abbie Hlas combined to allow only two earned runs over the course of the four games.
The Winona State Tuesday doubleheader against Concordia - St. Paul was halted due to severe weather.
Minnesota Duluth arrives in Winona with a 25-10 overall mark and 10-4 NSIC record. The Bulldogs are coming off a pair of wins over Bemidji State on Tuesday. UMD and WSU split in their NSIC regular season matchup last year in Duluth, with the Warriors winning game one 8-3 and falling in game two, 4-2. Winona State also defeated UMD 2-1 in extra innings in the 2021 NSIC Tournament.
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www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and
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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.
