Softball Sweeps Minnesota Crookston, 4-2 and 11-3

Tuesday, April 5

St. Cloud, Minn.

10:30 a.m.

St. Cloud State

21-17, 7-6

University of Minnesota, Crookston

7-24, 1-11

St. Cloud State

Minnesota Crookston

4/5/2016 4:03:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State's softball team (22-17, 8-6 NSIC) hit four home runs in its doubleheader sweep of Minnesota Crookston (7-25, 1-12 NSIC) on Tuesday, April 5, at the Husky Dome. SCSU took the first game 4-2 and won the second by an 11-3 margin.

Freshman Jaiden Lund was the team's hitting standout with three hits, three runs, two home runs and four RBIs in the two games. The home runs were the first two of her career. She now has eight extra base hits (three doubles, three triples and two home runs) among her 12 hits this season. Senior Tricia DeBoer totaled four hits including a double and triple for SCSU.

In the first game, junior Megan Hedstrom (7-9) earned the victory in throwing a complete game with two runs allowed (one earned) and four strikeouts. She also surrendered just three hits. UMC's Mikayla Jones (2-5) took the loss for the Golden Eagles after allowing four runs in 6.1 innings pitched with six strikeouts.

The Golden Eagles took the early lead with two runs in the first inning. The first run, Jozie Garner, scored off the throw error from the SCSU pitcher on an attempted play at second base. The second run, Victoria Bayliss, scampered home on Alexis Khobasha's two-out RBI single to left.

The Huskies cut the deficit in half in the top of the third inning. Junior Abby Bunnell was hit by a pitch and moved all the way to third on a single from fellow junior Rebecca Harps. Bunnell was able to score on the ensuing play as Harps intentionally got herself in a rundown to allow the run to score.

SCSU tied the game in top of the fifth on the first career home run from Lund.

The Huskies used the long ball again to take the lead as junior Jessica Goerger launched her eighth home run of the season to give SCSU a 3-2 advantage in the sixth inning.

SCSU added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning as DeBoer pushed a single to center field to score junior pinch runner Brianne Hightshoe.

The Huskies scored early in the second game with DeBoer hitting a bounding triple to left field and scoring on the sacrifice fly from Harps.

SCSU added a run to the lead in the second inning as sophomore Veronica Wold was able to scamper home on the base hit from sophomore Libby Bingham.

The Huskies scored two more runs in the fourth inning. Hedstrom started the frame with a single and moved to second on a UMC fielding error. Both runners moved up a base on a sacrifice bunt from Wold. Hedstrom scored on a ground out from freshman Mikayla Hansen. Senior Taige Puetz, who had reached base on an error, scored the second run of the frame and fourth of the game on another fielding error off the batted ball from Bunnell to third.

SCSU put up a four-spot in the sixth inning. Hedstrom made it a 5-0 game with her first home run of the season. Puetz walked, stole second and scored on senior Megan Larkin's double down the left field line. Lund reached first with a pinch hit base hit. A double steal allowed Lund to take second while Larkin stole home. Another fielding error from the Golden Eagles allowed Lund to score from second with the fourth run of the frame.

After UMC scored a run in the bottom of the sixth on a base hit from Maggie Morales, SCSU completed its scoring with three additional runs in the seventh on the three-run home run from Lund.

The Golden Eagles made the final score 11-3 with two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning on a ground out from Brooke Timmins and an RBI single from Kristi Larson.

Senior Senna Francesconi (10-6) earned her 10th win of the season in going six innings with one run and three hits allowed. She also struck out four and didn't walk a batter. Redshirt freshman Kadee Vesledahl pitched the final inning for SCSU and gave up a pair of runs, while also registering a strike out. Baily Braatz (2-13) was tagged with the loss after allowing six runs (three earned) in five innings.

St. Cloud State returns to action with a pair of road doubleheaders over the weekend. The team squares off against Southwest Minnesota State at 1 p.m. on April 9. SCSU will then face Sioux Falls on April 10 for two games starting at noon.