Softball splits Saturday showdowns

Saturday, March 9

Clermont, Fla.

4 p.m. EST

St. Cloud State

12-3

Jefferson

4-2

St. Cloud St.

Jefferson

Photo by: Kelsey Whaley

3/9/2019 11:09:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

CLERMONT, FLA. – The spring break marathon continued for the St. Cloud State University softball team Saturday afternoon. After a well-deserved off day Friday, the Huskies returned to action at the Spring Games in Clermont, Florida, splitting their two-game series against Jefferson University and Northwood University. St. Cloud lost another close 2-1 opener against Jefferson before ending the day with a 4-0 win over Northwood.

For the second straight doubleheader, the Huskies lost a nail biter to open the day, falling to the Jefferson Rams 2-1 in seven innings of play. Jefferson handed St. Cloud State just its third loss of the season by scoring two runs off Bradi Yost (Parkersburgh, Iowa / Aplington-Parkersburg) and Sydney LaPoint (Green Bay, Wis. / Bay Port) in the third inning and holding the team's hitters at bay through seven innings. In fact, the Huskies, who currently hold the top batting average and on base percentage in all of Division II, were held to just three hits in the game and only put six runners on base in seven innings of play.

Still, St. Cloud State did cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the fourth inning, as Maya Keating (Wheaton, Ill. / Warrensville-Wheaton) scored on an RBI single from Alexandra Pinkowski (Prior Lake, MInn. / Prior Lake) to cut the Rams lead in half. The Huskies rally, though, was cut short, as a line out to left field ended the inning.

St. Cloud State attempted to put together a rally in the seventh when Pinkowski hit a one-out single, but it wasn't meant to be, as the Huskies fell by a final score of 2-1. The first year right fielder was the top hitter for St. Cloud State in the loss, going 2-3 at the plate with the team's lone RBI.

After giving up the initial two runs, LaPoint was gold on the mound for the Huskies, striking out five Rams in four innings of work.

Like on Thursday, St. Cloud State came up with the perfect answer to a first game loss, as the team took the second game 4-0 over Northwood. It took the Huskies potent offense a while to figure out Timberwolves starting pitcher Shayne Frank, as she kept St. Cloud State's hitters off the scoreboard for four whole innings. That all changed, though, in the bottom of the fifth, as Keating once again started the scoring for the Huskies. After drawing a one out walk and stealing second, the speedy second baseman advanced to third on a passed ball and then scored on a throwing error by the catcher, giving St. Cloud State a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth.

The 1-0 lead would have been enough for Kate Kopeck, who earned her sixth win of the season in shutout fashion. The senior pitched a complete game gem, as she surrendered just three hits in seven innings of work. More impressively, Kopeck struck out seven Timberwolf batters and did not tally a single walk.

Of course, the Husky hitters weren't satisfied with one run, as they would score three more in the sixth to win the game 4-0. Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield) and Kylie Thomsen (Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove Village) both hit RBI-doubles in the bottom of the inning, while Megan Conrads (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South) ground out scored Thomsen to secure the 4-0 win for St. Cloud State.

Estrada was 2-3 at the plate for the Huskies Saturday afternoon, joining Pinkowski as the lone players to record multiple hits in one of the two games. Thomsen was 1-1 with one run and one RBI, while Keating was 1-3.

With the split, St. Cloud State's overall record improves to 13-3 this 2019 season. The Huskies will continue their spring break trip on Sunday when they play Nyack College and the University of Indianapolis.