Game 1: #7 SW Minnesota State 5 Wayne State 4
Game 2: #7 SW Minnesota State 5 Wayne State 1
#7 Southwest Minnesota State posted a 5-4 and 5-1 sweep over Wayne State College in Northern Sun Conference Intercollegiate softball Wednesday afternoon played in Marshall, Minnesota. The host Mustangs scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally for the 5-4 win in the first game and used that momentum to score a 5-1 win in the nightcap. The Wildcats fall to 21-18 overall and 5-6 in the NSIC with the two losses while SMSU improved to 23-7 overall and 7-0 in the NSIC.
The first game saw the host Mustangs score four runs on five hits in the bottom of the seventh inning to rally for a 5-4 win over the Wildcats. WSC held a 4-0 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning, but SMSU scored once in the sixth and used the four-run seventh to rally for the win. Eight players had one hit each for WSC with Jennifer Radley hitting a solo home run, her school-record 11th blast of the season, to lead the Wildcats at the plate. Amy Sandstrom and Hannah Engelkamp each produced doubles for WSC.
Katie Goetzinger (15-9) suffered the pitching loss, allowing five runs on 12 hits over 6 1/3 innings. She struck out six batters and walked one.
The second game saw WSC outhit SMSU 8-6, but the Wildcats stranded 10 runners on base in a 5-1 loss to the Mustangs. The Wildcats took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, but left the bases loaded. SMSU then scored one run in the second, three in the third and one in the fourth to account for their five runs.
Samantha Earleywine went 3 for 4 to lead WSC at the plate. Hannah Engelkamp was 2 for 2 with a pair of doubles. Katie Goetzinger (15-10) was tagged with the pitching loss, allowing four runs on four hits in 2 2/3 innings. Amber Baird worked 3 1/3 innings of relief, yielding just one run on two hits.
Wayne State will be in action again on Thursday hosting Nebraska-Kearney in a non-conference doubleheader at the Pete Chapman Softball Complex in Wayne starting at 2:00 p.m.
