Perfect Huskies tame Minot State in sweep

Sunday, April 3

St. Cloud, Minn.

12:00 p.m.

St. Cloud State

17-9, 5-0

Minot State University

22-7, 3-2

Minot State

St. Cloud State

Holly Weinberger lays out for a diving catching in game one against Minot State.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

4/3/2022 4:34:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

St. Cloud State downs Beavers 3-1 and 3-0 Sunday afternoon

ST. CLOUD, MINN. – The St. Cloud State University softball team cannot be contained. After earning two thrilling wins over Mary on Saturday, the Huskies improved to 18-9 overall and 6-0 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play on Sunday, downing the red-hot Minot State Beavers 3-1 and 3-0. With the wins, St. Cloud State extends its win streak to 10 streak and opens conference play with a perfect record for the first time since rejoining the conference in 2009.

GAME ONE: St. Cloud State (3) vs. Minot State (1)

Once again, the Huskies found themselves in a 1-0 deficit in the first, as the Beavers scored a run on two St. Cloud State throwing errors. The Huskies responded by scoring two runs of their own in the bottom of the first. Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) scored on an RBI single by Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield), tying the game at 1-1, before a sacrifice fly by Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn. / Waconia) and double by Maggie Fitzgerald (Oak Lawn, Ill. / Richards) gave St. Cloud State a 3-1 lead.

The Beavers, meanwhile, kept threatening the Huskies lead, putting runners on in the second, third and fourth innings. However, St. Cloud State's outstanding defensive play held Minot State's potent hitters at pay, especially on the left side of the infield. The Huskies managed to hold the Beavers at bay until the seventh inning, when the visitors put runners on first and second with two outs. It was nothing for Trinity Junker (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes), who got Minot State's three-hitter to fly out to center field, securing the 3-1 win for St. Cloud State.

GAME TWO: St. Cloud State (3) vs. Minot State (0)

Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) wasted absolutely no times getting the Huskies on the board in game two, as she led off the game with a solo home run to give St. Cloud State an early 1-0 lead. The Huskies then averaged a run an inning, as Sophie Culhane (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) hit a solo shot in the second to make it 2-0 before Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) scored on an RBI single by Vanden Langenberg to make it 3-0 after two.

Those three runs would be the only ones St. Cloud State would score for a while, as Minot State tossed near perfect innings in the third, fourth and fifth innings. The Beavers, though, could not get anything going offensively against Emma Eickoff (Becker, Minn. / Becker), who earned her sixth win of the season in dominant fashion. The first year pitcher went the distance in the circle, tossing seven scoreless frames while surrendering just six hits to help the Huskies secure the 3-0 victory.

TOP HUSKIES

Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn. / Waconia) went 2-2 at the plate with an RBI in St. Cloud State's game one win as six Huskies recorded at least one hit.
Trinity Junker (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) earned her eighth win of 2022, pitching another complete game and surrendering just one unearned run in seven innings of work.
Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) went 2-3 at the plate in game two, scoring one run and tallying two RBI in the process.
Sophie Culhane (Maple Grove, Minn. / Maple Grove) and Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) both went 2-2 and scored a run in game two.

UP NEXT
St. Cloud State will resume play on Wednesday, April 6 when the team hits the road for another NSIC contest. At this point in time, the Huskies are scheduled to play MSU Moorhead at 2:00 and 4:00 p.m. CT in Moorhead, Minnesota. All schedule changes will be announced on St. Cloud State's website and the team's social media accounts.