Softball bests Bemidji State in sweep

Wednesday, April 27

Bemidji, MN

2:00 p.m. CT

St. Cloud State

31-15, 19-6

Bemidji State University

10-33, 7-16

St. Cloud State

Bemidji State

Haley McFarlane's two-run homer in game two broke the program record for team single-season home runs, previously set in 2003.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

4/27/2022 5:55:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Huskies break program record for single-season home runs in game two

ST. CLOUD, MINN. – The St. Cloud State University softball team has enjoyed no shortage of success during the 2022 season. After securing their 30th win of 2022 last weekend, the Huskies made even more history Wednesday afternoon, shattering the long-standing program record for single-season home runs en route to a sweep of Bemidji State. Fueled by strong pitching and timely hitting, St. Cloud State took game one 1-0 before dominating in a 6-1 game two victory, improving to 32-15 overall and 20-6 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play.

GAME ONE: St. Cloud State (1) vs. Bemidji State (0)
The Huskies and Beavers drew to a scoreless tie after two innings, as neither team could figure out the other's starting pizza. St. Cloud State eventually broke through in the top of the third, as Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) scored from second on a flyout by Sydney Trees (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) to give the Huskies a 1-0 advantage.

That was the only offensive either team could muster for a considerable period of time, as both Bemidji State and St. Cloud State struggled to put runners on base in the early innings. That trend continued into the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, as both teams managed just five hits against Trinity Junker (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) and Kaidron McClafferty. It was Junker, in the end, who had the upper hand, as she nabbed her 16th win of the season with a seven inning shutout, securing the Huskies 1-0 victory with two strikeouts and a flyout.

GAME TWO: St. Cloud State (6) vs. Bemidji State (1)
Like game one, runs were hard to come by in game two, as both Emma Eickhoff (Becker, Minn. / Becker) and Stella Dolan were dealing in the circle. Eventually, St. Cloud State broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third. Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) hit a one out single, stole second and eventually scored on a RBI single from Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn. / Waconia), giving the Huskies a 1-0 advantage. The Beavers responded by tying the score in the bottom of the fourth, as Emily Yeager hit a solo home run to even things up at 1-1.

St. Cloud State put together a response of its own in the top of the fifth, as Weinberger delivered the perfect suicide squeeze to score Bowlin and regain a 2-1 advantage for the Huskies. Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield) then produced an RBI single of her own, allowing Vanden Langenberg to score from third for a 3-1 St. Cloud State lead.

From there, the runs just kept coming for the Huskies, as a leadoff triple by Alexandra Pinkowski (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) in the top of the sixth resulted in St. Cloud State's fourth run of the game. The fireworks, though, came in the top of the seventh. With a runner on and one out, Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) blasted her eighth home run of the season, putting the Huskies ahead 6-1. Not only did she give her team a five run advantage, but McFarlane's home run also broke the St. Cloud State record for single-season home runs, counting as the team's 52nd of the year.

Meanwhile, Eickhof and Lauren Kirchberg (Columbus, Wis. / Columbus) put in work keeping Bemidji State off the scoreboard, holding the Beavers to just one run on five hits in seven complete innings. In fact, Kirchberg earned her third save of the season, closing out the 4-1 Huskies win with three straight strikouts.

TOP HUSKIES

Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) went 3-3 at the plate in game one and scored St. Cloud State's lone run of the game.
Trinity Junker (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) improved to 16-6 this season and pitched her eighth shutout of the season. The junior ace shut down the Beavers for the second time this season, tallying six strikeouts and surrendering five hits in seven complete innings of work.
Sydney Trees (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) was the Huskies top hitter in game two, going 3-4 at the plate with a run, while Holly Weiberger (Waconia, Minn. / Waconia), Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield), Alexandra Pinkowski (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) and Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) each tallied two hits.
Emma Eickhoff (Becker, Minn. / Becker) earned her ninth win in the circle, surrendering one run and five hits in five innings of work. Lauren Kirchberg (Columbus, Wis. / Columbus) earned the save, tallying three strikeouts in two innings of work.

OF NOTE

St. Cloud State broke the record for team single-season home runs Wednesday afternoon, as McFarlane blasted the team's 52nd of the season. That breaks the previous record of 51, which was set back in 2003.
The Huskies won their 20th NSIC game Wednesday afternoon, reaching the 20+ conference win milestone for the first time since 2019.

UP NEXT
St. Cloud State will play two final doubleheaders to close out the 2022 season. The Huskies will travel to Wayne, Nebraska on Saturday, April 30 to face the Wayne State Wildcats at 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. CT.