Softball splits Saturday DH versus Minot

Saturday, April 6

St. Cloud, Minn.

12 p.m.

St. Cloud State

22-11, 4-5

Minot State University

17-9, 6-3

Minot State

St. Cloud State

Morgan Emmans batted lead off in the second game of the doubleheader, going 2-4 with an RBI at the plate.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

4/6/2019 4:45:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

ST. CLOUD, MINN. – The St. Cloud State University softball team looked to keep the good times rolling when it hosted Minot State University on Saturday, April 6. The Huskies managed to nab a key Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) win thanks to a two-game split in the Saturday doubleheader. St. Cloud State fell to its opponent in the opener 3-1 before taking game two 12-4 in five innings.

It was a tale of two games for the Huskies and Beavers, as game one was dominated by defense and the second was an offensive juggernaut of a ball game. In fact, neither team managed to score until the fourth inning of the first game, when St. Cloud State jumped ahead 1-0 thanks to a leadoff triple by Megan Conrads (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville North) and RBI double from Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield). However, that was the lone run the Huskies would manage to get across the plate in the opener, as Minot State starter Laura Mendez held St. Cloud State's hot offense to just one run on five hits in seven innings of work.

Senior ace Kate Kopeck (Lumsden, Sask. / Lumsden) was unhittable through the first five innings of the ball game, as she held the potent Beavers offense scoreless through those first few innings. Kopeck and the Huskies defense, though, learned the hard way that walks always come back to haunt, as Minot State was able to even the score at 1-1 in the top of the first after Karlee Coughlin drew a two-out walk.

St. Cloud State went down in order in the bottom of the sixth, giving the Beavers the opportunity to take their first lead of the game in the seventh inning. The first two batters, though, flied out to center and grounded out to short, making look like Kopeck was going to card another one-two-three inning on the mound. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, as Minot's No. 8 hitter Haley Hernandez drew a controversial two-out walk to give the Beavers life on the bases once again.

It looked like Kopeck might get out of the jam unscathed, but a two-out double by Minot's nine hitter and a two-out triple by the lead off allowed the Beavers to hold a 3-1 lead. Though the Huskies hit the screws off the ball in the bottom half of the inning, the ball was hit right at the Minot State fielders, allowing the Beavers to take game one by a final score of 3-1.

Kopeck suffered her fifth loss of the season, as she surrendered three runs on seven hits in seven innings of work. The senior did tally her 100^th strikeout of the season in the first inning en route to a six strikeout performance on the mound.

Things went much better for St. Cloud State in the second game, as the team set the tone early by scoring five runs in the bottom of the first to take an early 5-0 lead. Alexis Jacobs (Woodbury, Minn. / Woodbury) provided the highlight of the high scoring inning, as her two-out grand slam put the Huskies ahead 5-0 after Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) hit a two-out infield single to help the team take a 1-0 lead.

Minot State answered by scoring two runs of its own in the top of the second, prompting head coach Paula U'Ren to sub Sydney LaPoint (Green Bay, Wis. / Bayport) in for starter Kylie Thomsen (Elk Grove Villiage, Ill. / Elk Grove). The first year, with the help of her defense, pitched her way out of the jam, giving her offense the opportunity to continue its scoring barrage.

The Huskies did just that, as they scored three runs on four hits and one error in the bottom of the inning to extend their lead to 8-2 after two. Of course, the Beavers simply couldn't let the six-run lead stand, as they answered by again scoring two runs in the top of the third. Fortunately, St. Cloud State wasn't satisfied with a four run lead, as RBIs from Morgan Emmans (Blaine, Minn. / Mounds Park Academy), Conrads and Estrada regained an 11-4 advantage for the Huskies.

LaPoint made quick work of the Minot State batters in the fourth and fifth innings, giving St. Cloud State the chance to win and end the game early in the bottom of the fifth. After the first two hitters went down, it looked like the Huskies and Beavers were headed to the sixth, until Maya Keating (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton-Warrensville) and Conrads took matters into their own hands. Keating reached base on an infield single and stole on the first pitch of Conrads at bat to put a runner in scoring position in two outs. Conrads then hit a ground ball single to left field, allowing Keating to easily score from second and secore the 12-4, five inning win for St. Cloud State.

Multiple hitters tallied two hits and multiple RBI for the Huskies game of the doubleheader. Emmans, Keating, Conrads, Estrada and Bowlin all tallied two hits for St. Cloud State, while Conrads and Jacobs each recorded four RBI in the victory.

Thomsen earned her fourth win of the season, despite only pitching one inning. The sophomore gave up two runs and three hits, while LaPoint surrendered just two runs on four hits in four innings of work.

With the split, the Huskies overall record improves to 23-11 and they are now 5-5 in NSIC play. St. Cloud State will return to action on Sunday, April 7 when the team hosts the University of Mary at 12 and 2 p.m. in the Husky Dome.