Softball falters to Winona State

Saturday, April 16

Winona, MN

2:00 p.m. CT

St. Cloud State

25-13, 0

Winona State University

23-11, 0

St. Cloud State

Winona State

Holly Weinberger swings a a pitch in game one against Winona State.

Photo by: Kelsey Whaley

4/16/2022 5:28:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Huskies score just two runs on six hits in the doubleheader

WINONA, MINN. – It just wasn't the St. Cloud State University softball team's day down in Winona, Minnesota. The Huskies dropped two games against the Winona State Warriors, falling to 25-14 overall and 13-5 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play. St. Cloud State fell to Winona State 9-1 in game one before dropping game two by a final score of 3-1.

GAME ONE: St. Cloud State (1) vs. Winona State (9) - 5 innings

The Huskies struggled to get anything going offensively against the Warriors' ace Liz Pautz in game one, as they were held to just one run on three hits in five innings of play. In fact, St. Cloud State suffered its first five inning loss of the entire season in game one, as Winona State scored four runs in the second and another four in the fourth in the 9-1 victory.

Down 5-0 after two, the Huskies showed life in the top of the third, scoring their lone run on back-to-back hits by Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) and Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour). Bowlin's infield single sparked the rally, as she beat the shortstops throw to first then stole second to put a runner in scoring position with one out. She later scored on Raven Vanden Langenberg's double to deep center field, cutting the lead to 5-1 with four innings left to play.

That was the lone run the Huskies would score in the game, though Lydia Krueger (Appleton, Wis. / North) would tally St. Cloud State's third hit of the game in the top of the fourth. It wasn't enough to spark another rally, sadly, as the Huskies fell by a final score of 9-1.

GAME TWO: St. Cloud State (1) vs. Winona State (3)

It was the Huskies who struck first in game one, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the second thanks to timely hitting from Maggie Fitzgerald (Oak Lawn, Ill. / Richards). The first year returned to the line up Saturday afternoon and made an immediate splash, as her bloop single over the shortstops head scored Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) from second and gave St. Cloud State the early lead. Unfortunately, the Warriors responded by scoring three in the bottom of the second, making it 3-1 not Huskies after two.

The score remained 3-1 until the seventh inning when St. Cloud State tried to piece together a rally against Pautz and the Warriors' defense. Krueger kick started the Huskies hopes for a comeback, as she drew a one-out walk to give St. Cloud State a late-inning base runner. Fitzgerald almost tied the game with a single swing, but her long shot to left field fell into the glove of Winona State's left fielder, forcing head coach Mitch Roberts to send Sophie Culhane (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) to the plate. The junior was unable to come up with the big hit, as the Huskies fell by a final score of 3-1.

TOP HUSKIES

Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) and Lydia Krueger (Appleton, Wis. / North) both went 1-2 at the plate in game one, with Bowlin scoring the Huskies lone run in the loss. Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) went 1-3 and tallied the only RBI in game one as well.
Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn. / Waconia) was the Huskies best hitter at the plate in game two, going 2-3 while Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) and Maggie Fitzgerald (Oak Lawn, Ill. / Richards) accounted for the team's lone run and RBI.

UP NEXT

St. Cloud State will venture to Aberdeen, South Dakota next, as the Huskies are set to take on Northern State in a midweek doubleheader on Wednesday, April 20. First pitch is currently scheduled for 1:00 p.m. with game two to follow.