PITTSBURG, Kan. – Winona State softball's season came to an end after a 6-3 loss to Pittsburg State in the NCAA Division II Central Region Tournament.
The Warriors battled the Gorillas in a tight ballgame, but PSU was able to capitalize on a late-game three-run blast to earn the victory.
WSU struck first in the opening frame as
Tiegan Mancuso singled up the middle and
Bryn Elsenpeter stayed red hot with her third homer of the regional to give WSU a 2-0 lead. Pittsburg State answered with a solo homer in the bottom of the first.
After neither team plated a run in the second, the Gorillas threatened in the third as they scored one and had the bases loaded with no outs. WSU starter,
Izzy Howe, was able to get out of the jam after three straight weak fly balls ended the inning to and keep the score at 2-2 after three innings of play.
Winona State and Pittsburg State were both scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings, then the Gorillas hit a two-out, three-run blast in the sixth to jump out to a 6-3 lead. Down to their last chance, WSU was unable to get a runner on base and saw their outstanding season come to an end.
The Warriors were led by
Ashlee Chantos, who tallied a pair of hits and scored a run. Elsenpeter knocked in two RBI during her two-run blast in the first. Howe went the full 6.0 innings in the circle and allowed six runs in the loss.
Winona State ends the season with a 48-11 record which included the program's 15th trip to the NCAA Tournament and their sixth NSIC Regular Season Championship.
