ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Winona State University softball team opened their 2023 campaign with a sweep of NAIA power Grand View University, beating the Vikings 4-1 and 8-4 in a doubleheader played at the RCTC Dome on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
NSIC Preseason Player-of-the-Year
Abbie Hlas went the distance in game one, while WSU Pitcher-to-Watch
Abby Smith threw a complete game victory in the nightcap to propel Winona State to the sweep of the Vikings. Offensively, Winona State saw some timely power hitting in both games lead to the strong start to the season.
Game 1
In the circle,
Abbie Hlas racked up eight strikeouts while walking only two GVU batters and scattered six hits overall. Hlas helped herself at the plate as well, collecting a base hit in the third inning and then notched an RBI on a sacrifice fly in the fourth frame.
Winona State wasted little time in displaying the power in the 2023 WSU lineup, as
Marissa Mullen opened up the Warrior offense with a two-run homer in the first inning. Mullen mashed the third pitch she saw on the year over the fence in right, scoring
Carly Engelhardt who had drawn a walk minutes earlier.
The 2-0 WSU advantage was carved in half when Grand View's Rachel Anderson hit a solo home run just inches over the fence in left field in the top of the fourth. The Warriors would respond in the bottom of the same inning, with
Logan Anderson scoring on an infield single by
Savannah Serdynski. Two batters later, Hlas would plate Serdynski for WSU's fourth and final run.
The visitors threatened in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with just one out, but Hlas struck out GVU's Josie Sowers and then retired Abby Sutten for the 4-1 Warrior win.
Game 2
Abby Smith steadied her team after the Warriors fell behind 2-0 in the first inning following a throwing error and a two-RBI single. Smith struck out GVU's Jessie Frasher to end the inning and then saw her team respond with three runs in the bottom of the opening stanza to take the lead early on.
Winona State's first inning offense began when
Jaden Johnson scored
Carly Engelhardt on a long fly ball to center field, and continued when
Libby Neveau drove in a pair of runs with a double down the right field line.
The Vikings would get a run back in the second when they parlayed a single and pair of bunts to score Peyton Moffet, tying the game at 3-3. The two teams would remain deadlocked for the next two and 1/2 innings until a
Carly Engelhardt triple scored
Abbie Hlas and then
Teaghen Amwoza drove in Engelhardt with a sacrifice fly in the next at-bat, moving Winona State back in front, 5-3.
Although Grand View would score one run in the top of the sixth, WSU put the game away with a three-run bottom of the same inning. A timely
Zoe May pinch-hit single scored
Libby Neveau which was followed closely by Serdynski and Brodin who scored on hits by Engelhardt and Amwoza, respectively.
Smith and the Warrior defense held Grand View scoreless in the top of seventh, sealing the win - and the sweep - by an 8-4 scoreline.
Winona State (2-0, 0-0 NSIC) opened their season 2-0 for the fifth consecutive year and will play on the road this weekend in Emporia, Kansas. WSU will take on Quincy University and host Emporia State on Friday, Feb. 17, before matching up with Northwest Missouri State and Washburn University on Saturday.
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
