St. Cloud State
19-9, 7-0
Minnesota State University Moorhead
5-17, 2-5
Huskies scorch Dragons in sweep
4/7/2022 4:30:00 PM | Softball
St. Cloud State scores combined 22 runs in two games
ST. CLOUD, MINN. – The St. Cloud State University softball team may be the hottest team in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Huskies improved to 8-0 in conference play Thursday afternoon, scoring a combined 22 runs in a sweep of MSU Moorhead. St. Cloud State took game one 12-0 and game two 10-0, improving to 19-9 on the year and 8-0 in NSIC play.
GAME ONE: St. Cloud State (12) vs. MSU Moorhead (0) - 6 innings
The Huskies' bats were quiet for two innings, but they came to life a big way in the third and fourth innings. Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) tallied the team's first hit and run, as her double eventually resulted in a 1-0 lead for St. Cloud State. The Huskies then truly busted things open in the top of the fourth, scoring six runs on six hits for a 7-0 lead. Prior Alexandra Pinkowski (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake), Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) and Sydney Trees (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) provided RBI hits during the inning, which was highlighted by Trees three-run shot to left center.
From there, St. Cloud State would proceed to score five runs in the sixth, invoking the eight-run rule. After loading the bases with three straight singles, Vanden Langenberg scored on an RBI fielder's choice by Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield), scoring the eighth run needed to end the game early. The Huskies then proceeded to score four more runs, making it 12-0 on a sacrifice line drive and two singles by Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn. / Waconia), Lydia Krueger (Appleton, Wis. / North) and Tenley Quesnell (Boise, Idaho / Timberline).
In order for the game to end early, though, Trinity Junker (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) needed to do her job in the circle. The junior ace earned her ninth win of the season in style, throwing a complete game, three-hit shutout with eight strikeouts.
GAME TWO: St. Cloud State (10) vs. MSU Moorhead (0) - 5 innings
Unlike game one, the Huskies wasted no time getting on the board in game two, scoring two run in the first, five in the second and three in the third for a 10-0 lead. Estrada's single up the middle and Weinberger's double to left center allowed St. Cloud State an early 2-0 lead after one before the five-run second. Krueger and Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) scored on an RBI single by McFarlane, making it 4-0 with zero outs on the board. Trees then nearly doubled the lead, clearing the bases with an RBI double, before Weinberger's sacrifice fly made it 7-0 Huskies after two.
St. Cloud State tacked on three more runs in the third, holding a 10-0 lead and needing just six outs to end the game after five. With Emma Eickhoff (Becker, Minn. / Becker) on the mound, the Huskies only needed one run to secure victory. The first year mowed down MSU Moorhead's line up, holding the Dragons to just four hits in five complete innings of play.
TOP HUSKIES
- Three Huskies went 2-3 at the plate in game one: Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour), Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) and Lydia Krueger (Appleton, Wis. / North). Vanden Langenberg led the team with three runs, while McFarlane and Krueger combined for three RBI.
- Sydney Trees (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) went 2-4 in game one with a home run and three RBI.
- Trinity Junker (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) earned her ninth win of 2022, pitching another complete game shutout with eight strikeouts.
- Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) and Vanden Langenberg went 2-2 at the plate in game two with two runs in game two, while Krueger was 2-3 at the plate with two runs and an RBI.
- Emma Eickhoff (Becker, Minn. / Becker) improved to 7-3 in the win, pitching a four-hit shutout in the victory.
UP NEXT
St. Cloud State will return to action on Saturday, April 9 when the team hosts Concordia-St. Paul in NSIC play. The doubleheader will take at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m. More information will be available on www.scsuhuskies.com in the upcoming days.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Junker, Trinity (9-4)
L: Abbott, Emma (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Vanden Langenberg, Raven 1
HR: Trees, Sydney 1
RBI: McFarlane, Haley 2 ; Trees, Sydney 3 ; Estrada, Jasmin 1 ; Weinberger, Holly 1 ; Fitzgerald, Maggie 1 ; Pinkowski, Alexandra 1 ; Krueger, Lydia 1 ; Bowlin, Brooke 1
SF: Weinberger, Holly 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Vanden Langenberg, Raven 3 ; McFarlane, Haley 1 ; Istvanovich, Kaitlyn 1 ; Trees, Sydney 2 ; Estrada, Jasmin 1 ; Weinberger, Holly 1 ; Fitzgerald, Maggie 1 ; Pinkowski, Alexandra 1 ; Bowlin, Brooke 1
SB: Trees, Sydney 1 ; Weinberger, Holly 1 ; Pinkowski, Alexandra 1 ; Bowlin, Brooke 1
Batting:
SH: McCarthy, Eliyah 1
