Softball Survives Late Rally To Split Doubleheader With No. 17 Winona State

Saturday, April 2

St. Cloud, Minn.

1:30 p.m.

St. Cloud State

19-15, 5-4

Winona State University

24-7, 6-2

Winona State

St. Cloud State

Photo by: Tom Nelson

Softball Survives Late Rally To Split Doubleheader With No. 17 Winona State

4/2/2016 6:13:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

SCSU falls in game one 10-0, but wins game two 4-3 on Taige Puetz’s Senior Day

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State's softball team (20-15, 6-4 NSIC) needed to withstand a seventh inning rally from No. 17 Winona State (24-8, 6-3 NSIC) to take the second game of their doubleheader by a 4-3 score on Saturday, April 2, at the Husky Dome. SCSU fell in the first game by a 10-0 score to the Warriors also indoors at the Husky Dome.

In the second game, Senna Francesconi (9-5) earned the victory with seven innings thrown, three runs allowed (two earned) and three strikeouts. The loss fell to WSU's Alex Walker (6-3), who allowed four runs (three earned) in six innings.

After the Huskies had just pulled ahead 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning on junior Megan Hedstrom's two-out two-run single to plate pinch runner Brianne Hightshoe and junior Rebecca Harps with key insurance runs, the Warriors put together a quick rally of their own in the top of the seventh inning.

Jamee Schleis doubled to begin the seventh inning to left field. Lani Van Zyi followed her up with a two-run home run to left field to cut the deficit to just one run at 4-3. Francesconi stood tough though and got a line out to short, followed by a single, a fielder's choice to eliminate the lead runner and then a pop out to second to end the game and preserve the 4-3 victory.

Earlier in the second game, SCSU took the early lead on with a two-spot in the second inning. Junior Tricia DeBoer, senior Taige Puetz and Hedstrom singled back-to-back-to-back to load the bases. After a pop out, sophomore Libby Bingham hit a pop out in foul territory down the first base line that was fielded by the WSU second baseman with her momentum going away from the field of play, DeBoer smartly tagged up and scored the Huskies first tally of the game on the sacrifice fly. Additionally, the ball was thrown away on the attempted play on DeBoer at the plate to also allow Puetz to alertly score all the way from second with the second SCSU run.

The game remained 2-0 Huskies until the fifth inning when the Warriors cut the deficit in half on Van Zyi's RBI infield single.

In the first game, Hedstrom (6-9) was tagged with the loss in allowing 10 runs (seven earned), seven walks and seven hits in her five innings of work. WSU's Hanna Lythberg (13-3) threw the no-hitter with three strikeouts and two walks in in her five innings in the circle.

Winona State scored first with two in the third inning. Paige Keegan drove in a run with a single and Natalie Kalmes also picked up an RBI with her ground out to short with the bases loaded.

The Warriors added three more to the lead in the fourth inning on Chelsey Rodenkirch RBI ground out with the bases loaded. Keegan then poked a single to left field to plate two more.

Winona State completed the scoring with five runs in the top of the fifth inning. McKenna Larsen walked and scored on Schleis' triple. After two groundouts, Van Zyi walked to put runners on the corners. Reed Karsten then singled to the pitcher to drive in Schleis. Chelsey Rodenkirch walked to load the bases. A fielding error from SCSU prolonged the inning and allowed Van Zyi to score the inning's third run. Kalmes followed with a single to left to score two more and make the final score 10-0 Warriors.

St. Cloud State returns to action tomorrow and hosts Upper Iowa (20-10, 6-2 NSIC) back outdoors at Selke Field for a conference doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.