Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1 - Southwest Minnesota State 2 Wayne State 0

Game 2 - Southwest Minnesota State 5 Wayne State 1

            Three Southwest Minnesota State pitchers held Wayne State without a run until the sixth inning of the second game as the Mustangs posted a 2-0 and 5-1 sweep over the Wildcats in Northern Sun Conference softball played Thursday afternoon at the Pete Chapman Softball Complex in Wayne.  WSC is now 11-37 and 5-19 in the league while SMSU is 21-21 and 12-14 in the NSIC.
            The first game was a pitchers' duel between Alex O'Connor of SMSU and Riley Vanderveen from WSC.  The lone runs scored in the game were in the fourth inning on a two-run homer by the Mustangs.
            WSC had its lone scoring threat in the sixth inning with a pair of singles and just one out, but Mustang starter Alex O'Connor got out of the inning with strikeouts against Melanie Alyea and Jordyn Breitbarth to end the scoring threat.
            SMSU held a 7-6 edge in hits over WSC.  Rachel Shumaker was 2 for 3 with a pair of singles.  Monique and Melanie Alyea, Alyssa Schropp and Sarah Hunter each added singles.
             Vanderveen (2-13) was the hard luck loser in the circle, allowing just two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks.
            The second game saw the Mustangs produce four runs in the third inning as SMSU completed the sweep with a 5-1 win.
            SMSU scored one run in the second and four more in the third to chase Wildcat starter Allison Niemeier. 
            The Wildcat scored their lone run in the bottom of the sixth when Melanie Alyea walked and later scored on an Abbie Hix RBI single to right field to make the final score 5-1.
            The Mustangs had 13 hits in the win to just five by the Wildcats.  Katelyn Wobken went 2 for 4 with a double and single.  Abbie Hix added an RBI single while Monique and Melanie Alyea each singled.
            Niemeier (0-5) was tagged with the pitching loss, allowing five runs on nine hits over 2 2/3 innings.  Vanderveen pitched the final 4 1/3 innings and did not allow a run on four hits with one walk and one strikeout.
            Wayne State will be at home again Friday afternoon hosting St. Cloud State in a doubleheader at 1 and 3 p.m. at the Pete Chapman Softball Complex.