Huskies earn split at Minnesota-Crookston

Thursday, April 22

Crookston, MN

1:30 p.m.

St. Cloud State

17-9, 6-7

University of Minnesota Crookston

8-23, 4-13

St. Cloud State

Minnesota Crookston

Sydney Trees tallied in RBI in both games one and two against Minnesota-Crookston Thursday.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

4/22/2021 6:31:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

CROOKSTON, MINN. - The St. Cloud State University softball team is back to its winning ways. After suffering a doubleheader sweep at Concordia-St. Paul on Sunday, the Huskies found their way back to the win column, snapping a three-game losing skid in their Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) series against the University of Minnesota-Crookston. Despite losing the first game 6-5, St. Cloud State rebounded with a 5-4 win in game two, improving to 18-10 on the year and 7-7 in NSIC play.

The Huskies looked like they were set to end their losing skid early in the first game, as they took a 2-0 lead over the Golden Eagles in the first inning of game one. Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) scored the first run of the game on a RBI single by third baseman Megan Conrads (Lakeville, Minn. / Lakeville South), who was then brought in on a double by Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn. / Waconia). Minnesota-Crookston, though, cut the lead in half in the bottom of the inning, scoring one run on four hits off Kylie Thomsen (Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove Village) to slice St. Cloud State's lead to 2-1.

It looked like no harm, no foul for Thomsen and the Huskies, until a five run second inning resulted in a 6-2 lead for the Golden Eagles. St. Cloud State's defense uncharacteristically committed two errors in the inning, allowing Minnesota-Crookston to take the four run advantage. The Huskies, though, certainly weren't down and out for the count, as they slowly chipped away at the Golden Eagles lead. In fact, St. Cloud State's three-run third inning allowed the team to pull within one of Minnesota-Crookston, as Sydney Trees (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) cut the Golden Eagles lead to 6-5 with four innings remaining in the game.

The Huskies were never able to score that final run despite multiple opportunities throughout the final innings. In fact, St. Cloud State had at least one runner on base in the fourth, fifth and sixth inning but was never able to plate a run, resulting in the 6-5 game one loss.

The Huskies rebounded well in game two, as they hung on for a dramatic 5-4 win over Minnesota-Crookston. Unlike the first game, it took both teams a while to score, as neither team was able to figure out their opponents' starting pitcher. In fact, starting pitcher Lauren Kirchberg (Columbus, Wis. / Columbus) threw a one-hitter through the first three innings of the game, allowing St. Cloud State to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) led off the inning with a single through the right side and reached third on a beautiful sacrifice bunt by Conrads. The bunt was, potentially, not necessary, as Weinberger blasted a double to left field, scoring Vanden Langenberg for a 1-0 lead.

It looked like the 1-0 lead would hold for the Huskies, but another big inning by the Golden Eagles resulted in a 2-1 lead for the home team. St. Cloud State responded by tying the game in the top of the sixth, this time on a sacrifice fly by Trees, making it 2-2 entering the final seventh inning.

The seventh proved to be a big inning for the Huskies, they scored three runs on five hits to take a 5-2 lead. It was Vanden Langenberg who delivered the first clutch hit, as her RBI single scored both Bowlin and senior second baseman Maya Keating (Wheaton, Ill. / Wheaton-Warrensville). One batter later, St. Cloud State added some insurance, as Alexandra Pinkowski (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) scored on a RBI single by Conrads for the 5-2 lead.

The Golden Eagles made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs on three hits to make it 5-4. The early scoring barrage prompted head coach Paula U'Ren to replace Kirchberg with ace Sydney LaPoint (Green Bay, Wis. / Bay Port), who earned the save with two strikeouts, clinching the 5-4 victory for the Huskies.

Weinberger was the top hitter for St. Cloud State on Thursday, going a combined 5-7 at the plate with two RBI, while Trees went 1-3 with one run and three RBI in game one. In the circle, Thomsen took the loss in game one, surrendering give earned runs on six hits. Kirchberg earned the win in game two, improving to 6-4 on the year thanks to her six strikeout performance, while LaPoint earned the save with two strikeouts.

With the split, the Huskies overall record improves to 18-10 with a 7-7 mark in NSIC play. St. Cloud State will return to action on Saturday, April 24 when the team hosts Winona State University at 12 and 2 p.m. at Selke Field in St. Cloud, Minnesota.