Softball opens 2020 with 8-0 win over Red Raiders

Friday, February 14

St. Cloud, Minn.

1 p.m.

St. Cloud State

1-0

Northwestern College (Iowa)

2-1

Northwestern (IA)

St. Cloud State

Sydney Trees (13) and Brooke Bowlin (23) celebrate Trees' walk-off triple in the season opener against Northwestern (IA).

Photo by: Kelsey Whaley

2/14/2020 5:06:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

ST. CLOUD, MINN. – When the 'Skies are hot, they're hot. They were in 2019, and they still are in 2020.

The St. Cloud State University softball team did not miss a beat entering the 2020 season. Fueled by a stacked offense and strong pitching, the Huskies found the perfect way to open the 2020 season: with a short, run-rule win on the first day of the Kelly Laas Invite. In what was a score-early-and-often game, St. Cloud State defeated Northwestern (Iowa) in six inning , taking down its opponent by a final score of 8-0.

The 'Skies did not miss a beat offensively to start the 2020 season, as they powered their way to an early 5-0 lead in the first inning. Maya Keating (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton-Warrensville) kick started the rally with a one-out, infield single, but she didn't spend much time over at first base. The senior stole second and was brought home on a ripped double by Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield) to give St. Cloud State an early 1-0 lead.

One pitch later, Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) provided more fireworks, as she tallied the Huskies first home run of the season, scoring herself and Estrada to extend the lead to 3-0. From there, the hits and runs just kept coming for St. Cloud State, as Cassie Francesconi (Schomberg, Ontario / Emily Carr Secondary School) and Sydney Trees (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) recorded back-to-back hits and back-to-back RBIs to boost the Huskies lead to 5-0 after one inning.

The 5-0 lead would have been plenty for junior starter Kylie Thomsen (Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove Village) as she pitched four flawless innings to earn her first "W" of the season. In fact, Thomsen did not give up a single hit in four innings of work, and her lone base runner reached on a six-pitch walk in the top of the first inning. Still, St. Cloud State's offense continued to threaten with runners on base and eventually scored its sixth and seventh runs of the ball game in the bottom of the fifth. With Trees on third and the speedy Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family), Keating hit a bloop single to center field, allowing the two to score easily from their respective bases and extending the Huskies lead to 7-0 after five.

St. Cloud State added its definitive eighth run in the bottom of the sixth, thanks in large part to Trees. After Gabrielle Nelson (Fargo, North Dakota / West) reached base on an error by the Red Raiders shortstop, head coach Paula U'Ren returned Megan Conrads (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South) in to the game as a base runner. The junior stole second during Trees at bat, but in the end, the extra base wasn't necessary, as Trees triple to deep right-center allowed Conrads to score standing up and clinched the 8-0 victory for the Huskies.

Trees had a career day at the plate, as she went 3-4 with one run and two RBI for St. Cloud State. Estrada also got off to a hot start, as the reigning Second Team All-Region designated player went 2-3 with one RBI, one walk, one run and one stolen base.

Thomsen and Lauren Kirchberg (Columbus, Wis. / Columbus) threw a combined one-hitter in six innings of work, only allowing two Northwestern batters to reach base while tallying six combined strikeouts. Thomsen earned the win, as she pitched four no-hit innings, striking out five batters in the process.

With the win, the Huskies open the 2020 season with a flawless 1-0 record. St. Cloud State will return to action for two games on Saturday, hosting Minnesota-Crookston and William Jewell at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Husky Dome.