Small ball leads softball to 4-2 victory over SMSU

Sunday, February 13

St. Cloud, Minn.

1:00 p.m. CT

St. Cloud State

3-1

Southwest Minnesota State University

3-3

Soutwest Minn. State

St. Cloud State

Maggie Fitzgerald connects with a pitch in the fourth inning against SMSU.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

2/13/2022 3:59:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Huskies score two runs in the sixth inning to secure victory

ST. CLOUD, MINN. – The St. Cloud State University softball team closed the Kelly Laas Tournament in the most perfect way possible: with a win. The Huskies avenged Saturday's loss to Southwest Minnesota State with a 4-2 win in the Husky Dome Sunday afternoon, concluding the weekend with a 3-1 record to start the season.

SMALL BALL VICTORIES
St. Cloud State wasted no time getting on the board Sunday afternoon, as the Huskies scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the first inning against the Mustangs. Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) earned a lead off walk and stole second, as she does, to give St. Cloud State a runner in scoring position with no outs. She then scored the first run of the ball game, as Sophie Culhane (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) doubled down the left field line to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

Both teams would threaten throughout the remainder of the game, and both St. Cloud State and SMSU came up with big defensive plays to end the inning. The Mustangs put runners on second and third with two outs in the top of the third, but a running catch by center fielder Alexandra Pinkowski (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) stopped SMSU in its tracks. Then again, in the fourth, the Mustangs hit a two out single to left before Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) put a stop to that scoring threat with a beautiful double play to end the inning.

The Huskies proved walks could haunt in the bottom of the fourth, as they extended their lead to 2-0 after Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) and Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn / Litchfield) earned back-to-back walks. SMSU would go ahead and tie the game in the top of the fifth, scoring two runs on two hits to even things up at 2-2.

Trinity Junker (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) kept the Mustangs off the board in the top of the sixth, giving St. Cloud State a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the inning. That is exactly what the Huskies did, once again using small ball to put runs across the plate. It was again McFarlane and Estrada kick-starting the team's rally, as McFarlane walked and Estrada reached on a base hit bunt to put runners on first and second with zero outs. Head coach Mitch Roberts then opted to pinch run Madison Spah (Anoka, Minn. / Anoka) at second base, giving St. Cloud State plenty of speed on the base paths with Pinkowski and Bowlin due at the plate.

The move paid off for the Huskies. Pinkowski reached on a fielder's choice after the SMSU third baseman failed to throw to first base in time on a potential foul ball. Bowlin ground through an eight pitch at bat before earning a clutch walk, allowing Spah to score easily from third to put St. Cloud State up 3-2. The Huskies added an insurance run one batter later, as Estrada scored on a ground out by Vanden Langenberg for a 4-2 St. Cloud State advantage.

With the Mustangs line up due in the top of the seventh, Roberts sent in Kylie Thomsen (Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove) to close out the game for the Huskies. The fifth year senior executed her job to perfection, allowing just one run and tallying a strikeout to clinch the 4-2 win for St. Cloud State.

TOP HUSKIES

Maggie Fitzgerald (Oak Lawn, Ill. / Rogers) was the top hitter for the Huskies, going 2-2 at the plate with two singles and an RBI.
Sydney Trees (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) and Sophie Culhane (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) both went 1-3 at the plate, while Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield) went 1-2 with a run and a walk.
Trinity Junker (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) earned her second win of the season, pitching six strong innings in the circle for St. Cloud State. Kylie Thomsen (Elk Grove Village, Ill. / Elk Grove) earned the save.

UP NEXT
The Huskies will enjoy a weekend off before traveling to Topeka, Kansas for the Washburn Invite. St. Cloud State is scheduled to face Fort Hays State and Newman at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. on Friday, February 25.