Huskies take down Golden Bears in thrilling DH

Saturday, April 13

St. Cloud, Minn.

12 p.m.

St. Cloud State

28-11, 10-5

Concordia University, St. Paul

21-14, 8-7

Concordia St. Paul

St. Cloud State

Jasmin Estrada connects for an RBI triple in the bottom of the 11th to win the game for St. Cloud State.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

4/13/2019 5:11:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ST. CLOUD, MINN. – The St. Cloud State University softball team has won in many different ways this 2019 season. The Huskies have dominated their opponents offensively, winning but eight runs or more multiple times throughout the season. There's also been times when St. Cloud State has needed small ball and clutch defense to beat its opponents.

On Saturday, it was a little of both for the Huskies, as they earned their third consecutive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) sweep, this time over Concordia University-St. Paul. St. Cloud State dominated offensively in game one, winning 7-2 before the team took down Concordia-St. Paul 2-1 in 11 innings in game two.

After two and a half scoreless innings in game one, the Huskies found themselves in the perfect position to take an early lead of the Golden Bears. St. Cloud State had managed to load the bases with no outs against Concordia starter Aryka Knoche with the teams three, four and five hitters due at the plate. However, sophomore utility Megan Conrads (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South) hit into a double play before Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield) struck out swinging to end the Huskies third inning rally.

It was Concordia-St. Paul that managed to score first, as the Golden Bears rallied for three hits off senior Kate Kopeck (Lumsden, Sask. / Lumsden) to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth. St. Cloud State, though, was poised for a rally of its own in the bottom of the fourth. Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) jump started the rally with a one out double down the left field line and scored easily on a two-out single from Cassie Francesconi (Schomberg, Ont. / Emily Carr Secondary) to cut the Golden Bears lead to 2-1.

The Huskies, though, were just getting started, at least in terms of scoring. Alexandra Pinkowski (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) kept St. Cloud State's rally going by drawing a two-out walk, putting runners on first and second for senior catcher Morgan Emmans (Blaine, Minn. / Mounds Park Academy). The senior then did what she does best, as she hit a two out single to left center, allowing both Francesconi and Pinkowski to score with ease to put the Huskies ahead 3-2. However, thanks to heads up base running, Emmans ended up on third during the play and later scored the fourth run of the ending to extend the lead to 4-2.

The Huskies tacked on three more runs in the fifth, extending their lead to 7-2 this time playing small ball. Conrads reached on an error by the Golden Bears shortstop and advanced to second on the same play. Estrada then bunted her to third, recording the first bunt single of her career at St. Cloud State, before another single from Bowlin scored Conrads from third to extend the lead to 5-2.

Pinkowski came up with the two-out RBI single to help the Huskies take the definitive 7-2 lead. Though Concordia-St. Paul threatened in the final three innings, the visitors were never able to score more than two runs, as Kopeck and Lauren Kirchberg (Columbus, Wis. / Columbus) shut down the Golden Bears hitters in the win.

Emmans, Bowlin and Francesconi all went 2-3 at the plate and scored a combined four o St. Cloud State's seven runs in the game. Pinkowski led the team with two RBI.

While the first game provided offense, the second game was a pitchers dual from the get go, as Sydney LaPoint (Green Bay, Wis. / Bayport) and Samantha Sullivan were virtually unhittable through the opening six innings of play. In fact, the two pitchers allowed a combined one hit in "regulation", as the score was still knotted 0-0 after seven innings of play.
LaPoint sent the Concordia-St. Paul hitters down in order in the top of the eighth, giving St. Cloud State the opportunity to take the lead in the bottom of the inning. Francesconi looked like she was ready to end things right then and there, as she blasted the ball toward the left center fence for a one-out double. The junior center fielder, though, was stranded at second base, as both Alexis Jacobs (Woodbury, Minn. / Woodbury) and Emmans went down swinging to end the inning.

The Golden Bears finally managed to break LaPoint in the top of the ninth, as a bloop single and two intentional walks resulted in 1-0 lead for Concordia-St. Paul. Still, the Huskies had the perfect chance to tie the game, as their 2-3-4 batters were due at the plate in the bottom of the ninth.

The 2-3-4 batters proved to be exactly what St. Cloud State needed, as the team managed to tie the game at 1-1 to send it to the 10^th. Maya Keating (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton-Warrensville) led off the inning with a double down the left field line and eventually scored thanks to some clutch hitting from Estrada. The first year tallied her 50^th RBI of the season with her double down the left field line, allowing Keating to easily score from second and tie the game at 1-1.

Neither team scored in the tenth despite putting runners on base, sending the game to the 11^th still knotted 1-1. Keating once again manage to reach with a one-out single, and it was almost exactly like déjà vu from the ninth inning. With two outs in the bottom of the 11^th, Estrada once again came to the plate. On the very first pitch of the at bat, the first year squared up an outside pitch and sent it toward the left field line. Keating broke on contact, and Estrada's ball fell in and bounced away from the left fielder, allowing the speedy second baseman to score the winning run with ease as Estrada ran into third with the game-winning RBI triple.

Estrada and Keating were the lone Huskies to tally multiple hits in game two, as they went 2-5 and accounted for both runs and both RBIs in the victory. Francesconi recorded St. Cloud State's other hit in the ball game, as she went 1-4 with her double in the eighth.

LaPoint went the distance for the Huskies, as she pitched all 11 innings to earn her seventh "W" of the season. The first year starter surrendered just one Concordia-St. Paul run on three hits while striking out three in 11 innings of work.

With the sweep, St. Cloud State's overall record improves to 29-11 and the team is now 11-5 in NSIC play. The Huskies will look to win their eighth and ninth consecutive games on Sunday, as they face Minnesota State at 12 and 2 p.m. in the Husky Dome.