CLERMONT, Fla. - The Winona State University softball team battled with the nation's No. 1 program and then won in walk-off fashion in extra innings to earn a split on their second day at The Spring Games in Clermont, Florida on Saturday, March 4.
Less than 24 hours after seeing head coach
Greg Jones notch his 900th career win against Dominican College, WSU almost made history again, hanging tough with top-ranked Rogers State University before falling late, 3-0. Then, Winona State battled back twice against Clarion University to win 6-5 in the eighth inning for the Saturday split on day two of their spring trip.
#1 Rogers State 3, Winona State 0
Starting pitcher
Abbie Hlas held the nation's top team largely in check for over five innings in game one of the Winona State twin bill, but the Warrior bats were cold in taking on the Hillcats. RSU plated one run in the bottom of the second inning for the only score by either team until a two-run Rogers State sixth frame put the game out of reach for WSU.
Winona State was held to two hits - a
Marissa Mullen single in the second inning and a Hlas single in the fifth - while RSU pitcher Sara Llamas-Howell struck out seven Warrior batters. WSU drew three walks and Mullen reached first after being hit by a pitch, but Winona State finished the game with eight runners left on base.
Hlas scattered six hits over six innings of work while striking out three. RSU's Jaylan Gibson had the only extra-base hits for either team in the game, her second one a double coming with two aboard to move the Hillcat 1-0 advantage to 3-0 by the end of the sixth.
Rogers State moved to a nation's-best 17-1 with the win, while Winona State slid to 9-5 with the loss.
Winona State 6, Clarion University 5 (8-innings)
In the first-ever meeting between the schools, Winona State battled back from one-run deficits on two occasions to capture an extra-inning win over Clarion University.
Clarion took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth inning over WSU, but the Warriors answered quickly in the bottom of the same frame when
Abbie Hlas drove in
Cammi Riemer to tie the game at 3-3 after four.
Zoe May moved Winona State in front at 4-3 when her single to right field drove in Riemer - scoring her second Warrior run of the game - but the Golden Eagles returned the favor in the top of seventh to draw the teams level at 4-4, sending the game to extra innings.
Clarion then moved in front in the top of the eighth inning and held on to their narrow one-run lead with the Warriors down to their last three outs of the game. However,
Jaden Johnson answered the opportunity by driving in
Dana Jones to tie the game at 5-5.
Abbie Hlas then delivered a two-out single back up the middle to score
Ashlee Chantos for a 6-5 Warrior win.
In the circle,
Skyler Calmes got the start for Winona State, going 3 1/3 innings while striking out two.
Abby Smith came on in relief, striking out three while conceding just one run for her sixth win of the year.
Winona State (10-5 overall, 0-0 NSIC) moves to 3-1 at The Spring Games and will play a pair Sunday, March 5 in the third straight day of spring break action. WSU will take on Ferris State University at 10 a.m. EST before facing off with Holy Names University at 12:30 EST.
