Softball salvages split with No. 18 Minnesota State

Saturday, April 17

Mankato, MN

1 p.m.

St. Cloud State

16-7, 5-4

Minnesota State University - Mankato

20-6, 9-4

St. Cloud State

Minnesota State

Megan Conrads went 2-4 in game two against the Mavericks and did not commit a single error at third base.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

4/17/2021 5:30:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

MANKATO, MINN. - The St. Cloud State University softball team isn't afraid of nationally ranked teams. After earning a split against No. 2 Augustana earlier this season, the Huskies stole another win from a nationally ranked opponent Saturday afternoon, as they split their Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) doubleheader with No. 18 Minnesota State Saturday afternoon. After falling 8-0 in six innings in game one, St. Cloud State rebounded for a big 6-1 win over the Mavericks, improving to 17-7 on the season with a 6-4 mark in NSIC play.

The Huskies struggled in the opener, as they suffered their first eight-run loss of the season at the hands of the Mavericks. In fact, St. Cloud State's explosive offense managed just two hits off Minnesota State's ace Mackenzie Ward, as Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. Litchfield) and Cassie Francesconi (Schomberg, Ontario / Emily Carr Secondary) tallied the Huskies lone hits in the 8-0 loss. Estrada nearly started a key rally for St. Cloud State in the top of the fourth inning, as she tallied a base hit bunt to give the Huskies their first base runner of the game. While St. Cloud State was unable to bring Estrada around, the Huskies put together another rally in the top of the sixth, as Francesconi singled to left center and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Sydney Trees (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake). The senior outfielder was stranded at the base, though, as the next batter grounded out to end the inning.

The Mavericks started scoring early and often, as they scored two runs in the bottom of the first to take an early 2-0 lead over St. Cloud State. The home team then added one run in the second, and four in the sixth to secure the 8-0 victory.

Things went much better for the Huskies in game two, as they scored four runs on three Maverick errors to take a 4-0 lead in the top of the first. Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) opened the game with a leadoff single to left field and eventually reached second on a walk by Estrada and made it to third on a throwing error by the Minnesota State catcher to put runners on the corners with no outs for St. Cloud State. The Huskies then scored their first runs thanks to an RBI from Megan Conrads (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South), as the Mavericks rushed the play at first, allowing both Bowlin and Estrada to score for the early 2-0 lead.

St. Cloud State added two more runs on yet another Minnesota State error, as Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) scored on a would-be ground out by Maya Keating (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton-Warrensville) to make it 3-0. Then Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) delivered a clutch two-out single to right field, making it 4-0 Huskies after the first inning.

St. Cloud State added another run in the top of the second, as Bowlin scored on a Conrads single to extend the lead to 5-0. The four runs would have been enough for Kylie Thomsen (Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove Village), who was masterful in the circle for the Huskies. The junior allowed just one earned run and five hits in seven complete innings of work, striking out two and walking none to earn her seventh win of the 2021 season. In fact, Thomsen had a no-hitter going through two and a third innings before the Mavericks put a stop to it with a one-out double. They then scored their first run of the ball game two batters later, cutting the St. Cloud State lead to 5-1 with four innings left to play.

The 5-1 score held through the next three innings before the Huskies added an insurance run in the top of the sixth. It was again Conrads who started the rally, hitting a one-out single up the middle to give St. Cloud State a late inning base runner. Alexandra Pinkowski (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) followed it up with a bunt single, putting runners at first and second with no outs.

While Conrads was out on the following play, Pinkowski scored on a RBI double from Francesconi to regain the five run advantage for the Huskies. Thomsen then sent Minnesota State's batters down in order in the bottom of the inning, securing the 6-1 win over the No. 18 team in the country for St. Cloud State.

Conrads was 2-4 at the plate for the Huskies, scoring one run with two RBI and one stolen base. Bowlin and Estrada both went 1-3 and scored a combined three runs in the win, while McFarlane and Francesconi both tallied RBI for St. Cloud State Saturday afternoon.

With the split, the Huskies overall record improves to 17-7 and they are now 6-4 in NSIC play. St. Cloud State will return to action on Sunday, April 18 when it faces Concordia-St. Paul in another key NSIC road doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. in St. Paul, Minnesota.