Huskies down Golden Eagles in Tuesday sweep

Tuesday, April 12

St. Cloud, Minn.

2:00 p.m. CT

St. Cloud State

22-12, 3-8

University of Minnesota Crookston

12-24, 10-3

Minnesota-Crookston

St. Cloud State

Trinity Junker earned her 13th win of the season, holding Minnesota-Crookston to three hits in five innings of work.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

4/12/2022 5:43:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Raven Vanden Langenberg breaks program record for HBP in single game

ST. CLOUD, MINN. – The 'Skies continue to stay hot. The St. Cloud State University softball team continued its winning ways Tuesday afternoon, as the team returned to the Husky Dome and earned a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) sweep over Minnesota-Crookston. The Huskies won game one 8-0 and game two 9-4, improving to 23-13 overall and 11-3 in NSIC play.

GAME ONE: St. Cloud State (8) vs. Minnesota-Crookston (0) - 5 innings

The Huskies wasted no time putting runs on the board, as they scored five on six hits in the first inning. In fact, St. Cloud State opened the inning with four consecutive singles, as Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) and Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn. / Waconia) scored on hits from both Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield) and Sydney Trees (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) to make it 2-0 with zero outs. Madison Spah (Anoka, Minn. / Ramsey) extended the lead to 3-0 with an RBI bases loaded single before Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) laced a single to center field, making it 5-0.

The Huskies added another run in the bottom of the fourth, as Alexandra Pinkowski's bloop single scored Trees to make it 6-0 St. Cloud State after four. That meant the Huskies needed just two runs in the bottom of the fifth to end the game, and they managed to do just that. After leading off the inning with a bunt single, Bowlin stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. She then scored without even trying, flying past the catcher on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 7-0. It was then Weinberger and Vanden Langenberg that secured the five inning victory for St. Cloud State. After being hit by a pitch for the third time, Vanden Langenberg scored from first on a monster double by Weinberger, ending the game in 8-0 fashion.

GAME TWO: St. Cloud State (9) vs. Minnesota-Crookston (4)

The Huskies did not get out to the same start in game two, as the Golden Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second on a two-run home run by Dana Zarn. St. Cloud State answered by scoring three runs of its own, as Spah and Maggie Fitzgerald (Oak Lawn, Ill. / Richards) came up big in clutch situations. Spah hit the game tying RBI single, advancing to third on a throwing error by the Minnesota-Crookston center fielder) and later scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Fitzgerald, securing a 3-2 lead for the Huskies in the second.

St. Cloud State would not relinquish the lead in the ensuing innings, though both the Golden Eagles and Huskies scored multiple times before the game was over. After taking a 3-2 lead, St. Cloud State made it 6-2 in the sixth behind an RBI triple from Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie). From that point on, any time Minnesota-Crookston scored, the Huskies answered with at least one of their own, jumping out 9-4 in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI infield hit from Bowlin.

TOP HUSKIES

Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) went 2-3 in game one with one run, two RBI and a stolen base. Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield) also went 2-3 with a run and RBI.
Trinity Junker (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) earned lucky No. 13 win of the season, allowing just three hits in five complete innings of work. The junior ace additionally strike out five and did not allow a single walk.
Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) broke the program record for single game hit by pitches, as she was plunked three times in three consecutive at bats in game one.
Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) went 2-2 at the plate in game two with two runs, two RBI and a walk.

UP NEXT

St. Cloud State will hit the road for the first time in NSIC play this weekend, as the Huskies are set to face Upper Iowa and Winona State this upcoming Friday and Saturday. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CT in Fayette, Iowa.