ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Winona State University softball team wrapped up a five-game road trip to the Lewis University Dome Invitational, playing five different opponents between Friday, Feb. 24 and Sunday, Feb. 26.
WSU started in strong fashion, opening the tournament 2-0 with wins over Saginaw Valley State and Ferris State on Friday. Saturday and Sunday did not go the way of the Warriors, with WSU losing to Purdue Northwest on Saturday and dropping a pair of games on Sunday to Grand Valley State and William Jewell College, respectively.
Winona State 7, Saginaw Valley State 3
Winona State opened the 2023 Lewis University Dome Invitational with a win, defeating Saginaw Valley State 7-3 on Friday, Feb. 24.
Winona State opened up an early two-run lead when
Carly Engelhardt homered with
Abbie Hlas aboard. Hlas' leadoff single would be one of three hits in the game for the NSIC Preseason Player of the year. Engelhardt and Hlas would combine for six of the Warriors' seven RBI in the game, with each player notching three apiece.
WSU would add four more runs in the third inning and an insurance tally in the sixth for the victory. Overall, the Warriors would collect 11 hits, including multi-hit performances for Hlas, Engelhardt,
Teaghen Amwoza, and
Libby Neveau.
In the circle, Hlas was credited with the win, throwing a complete game effort in which she allowed three runs on six hits while striking out seven. Only one of the three Cardinals' runs was earned.
Jaclyn Groves took the loss for SVSU, going 3 1/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits, striking out one and walking one after coming on for starter Emily Depew. Sarah Gersch went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Saginaw Valley State at the plate.
The Warrior win saw WSU stretch their winning streak over SVSU to six straight, dating back to Feb. 20, 2015.
Winona State 7, Ferris State 0
Doubles were the order of the day for the Winona State offense against Grand Valley State and starting pitcher
Abby Smith threw the second one-hitter of her Warrior career as WSU shutout Ferris State, 7-0.
Abbie Hlas collected three doubles in the contest, including an RBI hit in the second inning, while also scoring three times herself on a 3-for-4 day at the plate.
Abby Smith threw strikes and coaxed Ferris State into several ground balls and easy pop-ups en route to the best WSU pitching performance of the year so far. Smith carried a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh before a Bulldog single by Kaitlin Orme spoiled the no-no opportunity. Orme's walk in the second inning represented the only other Bulldog baserunner in the game.
Carly Engelhardt led WSU with three RBI in a 2-for-4 performance in the batter's box, including a triple in the fourth inning.
Marissa Mullen and
Macy Brodin added doubles to the Warrior stat line as the team collected 10 hits overall.
WSU moved to 3-0 all-time against Ferris State and will see the Bulldogs again this spring on Sunday, March 5 in Clermont, Fla.
Purdue Northwest 3, Winona State 1
Winona State received a strong pitching performance from
Abbie Hlas in their third contest at the Lewis University Invitational but ran into an equally adept hurler in Purdue Northwest's Maddison Roop, as the Warriors came out on the wrong side of a pitcher's duel, falling 3-1 to the Pride.
Hlas struck out eight and walked only two in a complete game effort, but the Warrior bats were quiet in the only Saturday game of the tournament for head coach
Greg Jones and his team.
WSU was held to just five hits, two for extra bases as Hlas and
Ashlee Chantos collected doubles in the game. The Warriors also drew three walks but were only able to manage a second-inning run in the third-ever meeting between the two schools. Hlas was the only multi-hit Warrior while
Logan Anderson collected her first stolen base of the season.
Purdue Northwest scored one run in the first inning and two in the bottom of the sixth to edge out Winona State in the contest. WSU moves to 2-1 versus PNW, having beat the Pride in 2020 (5-1) and 2019 (6-3).
Grand Valley State 7, Winona State 0
In their first game of the last day at the Lewis Dome Invitational, Winona State faced off with nationally ranked Grand Valley State, eventually falling to the Lakers, 7-0.
Skyler Calmes took the circle for Winona State and held the Lakers to just one run over her first five innings of work.
However, in the sixth inning, GVSU collected back-to-back RBI singles to extend their advantage to 3-0. Two additional base hits with runners about then moved the Laker lead to 7-0 to cap the frame.
Logan Anderson led WSU with a 2-for-3 effort offensively, while
Abbie Hlas and
Libby Neveau added one hit apiece. Overall, Winona State collected just four hits and the Warriors struck out nine times in the contest, a season-high.
GVSU's Hannah Beatus went the distance in the contest for the shutout win.
William Jewell College 4, Winona State 1 (9 innings)
In their final contest of the 2023 Lewis University Dome Invite, William Jewel College stretched Winona State to nine frames, handing the Warriors a 4-1 extra-innings defeat.
Abby Smith went the full nine innings in the circle, striking out seven and walking none. A rare Winona State error in the outfield allowed WJC to take advantage of the international tiebreaker format, as the Cardinals started the ninth with a runner on second.
Although WSU was able to earn two runners aboard in the bottom of the ninth, the Warrior bats were unable to close the gap.
Winona State opened the scoring with
Teaghen Amwoza drove in
Carly Engelhardt in the first, but William Jewell tied the game with a double-steal in the sixth.
For the Warriors, the loss snapped a three-game winning streak over the Cardinals, dating back to 2017.
Next up for Winona State (7-4 overall, 0-0 NSIC) will be The Spring Games, where the Warriors will play 10 games in five days in Clermont, Florida. WSU will open with California University of Pennsylvania on Friday, March 3, taking on the Vulcans at 2 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST.)
