Huskies launch five homers in split with #12 Augustana

Monday, May 2

Sioux Falls, SD

12:00 p.m. CT

St. Cloud State

34-16, 0

Augustana University (SD)

43-7, 0

St. Cloud State

Augustana

Trinity Junker held #12 Augustana to just one run on six hits in game two, improving to 18-6 this season.

Photo by: Kylie Macziewski

5/2/2022 4:23:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

St. Cloud State breaks program record for NSIC wins with the victory

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The St. Cloud State University softball team is used to making history. On Monday, the team closed its historic regular season in upset fashion, as the upstart Huskies split with #12 Augustana University. After falling in a tight 3-2 contest, St. Cloud State rallied to score eight runs in game two, upending the nationally ranked Vikings 8-1. With the split, the team closes the regular season with a 35-16 overall record and a historic 23-7 mark in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) play.

GAME ONE: St. Cloud State (2) vs. Augustana (3)
The Huskies came up just short in their opening game against the #12 Vikings, falling by a final score of 3-2 despite a furious late inning rally. From the get go, St. Cloud State was unphased and undaunted by Augustana ace Ashley Mickschl, as Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn. / Waconia) and Jasmin Estrada (Litchfield, Minn. / Litchfield) tallied back-to-back hits off her in the opening inning. However, the Huskies struggled to tally hits with runners in scoring position, as Weinberger and Estrada were stranded at their respective bases in the top of the first.

The Vikings lone offense came in the first inning, as Tori Chute blasted a three-run home run to give Augustana a 3-0 lead after the first inning. St. Cloud State went to work from that point on, as Lauren Kirchberg (Columbus, Wis. / Columbus) held the Vikings potent offense at bay, allowing the Huskies the opportunity to tie the game in the late innings. After chipping away in the third and fourth innings, St. Cloud State finally broke through in the fifth, as Kaitlyn Istvanovich (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) and Brooke Bowlin (Chaska, Minn. / Holy Family) reached base in back-to-back at bats, putting runners on first and third with two outs. Both later scored on a RBI single from Raven Vanden Langeberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour), cutting the Vikings lead to 3-2.

Again, the Huskies threatened in the sixth, as Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) drew a one out walk. However, Augustana managed to hold St. Cloud State off the scoreboard yet again, leaving the Huskies to their final three outs in the top of the seventh. Again, St. Cloud State put a runner on base, this time in the form of Vanden Langenberg, but the senior shortstop was stranded at first, as Weinberger struck out to end the game in a 3-2 deficit.

GAME TWO: St. Cloud State (8) vs. Augustana (1)

Game two got off to a much better start for the Huskies, as Estrada opened with a solo shot over the left field fence to give St. Cloud State a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Two batters later, McFarlane made it a 3-0 game with her tenth home run of the season, giving starting pitcher Trinity Junker (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) some buffer room before even taking the mound.

The Vikings did manage to score one against Junker, hitting a solo home run of their own to cut the lead to 3-1 in the third. The Huskies responded by hitting two in the top of the fourth. Lydia Krueger (Appleton, Wis. / Appleton North) notched her third home run of the season, regaining a three-run lead for St. Cloud State at 4-1. Weinberger, then, pulled the ball down the right field line, clearing the fence and scoring Istvanvovich to give the Huskies a 6-1 buffer after four innings play.

Sydney Trees (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) got in on the home run barrage in the top of the seventh, extending St. Cloud State's lead to 8-1 with her 16th of the season. It was up to Junker, then, to secure the Huskies upset bid. The junior ace gave up a leadoff single to open the inning, as Abbie Lund managed a bunt off Junker to give Augustana the base runner. She was the only Viking to reach base in the seventh, and she didn't even advance past first base. Junker sent the next three batters down in order, improving to 18-6 on the season and securing the 8-1 victory for the Huskies with a flyout to McFarlane at first base.

TOP HUSKIES

Holly Weinberger (Waconia, Minn. / Waconia) went 3-4 at the plate in game one, while Raven Vanden Langenberg (Seymour, Wis. / Seymour) was 1-3 with two RBI.
Sydney Trees (Prior Lake, Minn. / Prior Lake) was the team's top hitter in game two, going 3-4 at the plate with two runs and two RBI. Haley McFarlane (Swisher, Iowa / Cedar Rapids Prairie) and Weinberger were both 2-4 with a home run and two RBI.
Trinity Junker (Lindstrom, Minn. / Chisago Lakes) earned her 18th win of the season Monday afternoon, pitching seven complete innings and surrendering just one earned run on six hits.

NOTES

St. Cloud State closes the 2022 regular season with an overall record of 35-16 and a 23-7 mark in NSIC play. The Huskies 23 conference wins are the most since they rejoined the NSIC in 2009.
St. Cloud State closes the regular season with 58 home runs, the most in program history for a single-season.
The Huskies defeated two ranked opponents during the 2022 season: Minnesota State and Augustana. According to the NSIC website, St. Cloud State is the only team to defeat both opponents in 2022.

UP NEXT
With the split, the Huskies clinched the No. 4 seed in the NSIC tournament, which will take place May 5-7 in Rochester, Minnesota. More information regarding St. Cloud State's opponent and tournament schedule will be released in the upcoming days.