The #13-ranked mustangs of southwest minnesota state 0 (33-8, 17-1 nsic) used runs in the seventh inning in back-to-back games to sweep concordia (25-20, 11-7 nsic) in the regular-season finale for both teams at dunning field monday afternoon. Smsu took game one 11-4 and game two 5-3.
game 1 - sw minnesota st. 11, concordia 4
nsic regular-seaon champion southwest minnesota state used three home runs and five runs in the top of the seventh inning to secure a 11-4 win over the golden bears.
concordia jumped on the board first in the bottom of the first inning when
sami mattson (fr., esko, mn) singled in
abby brundidge (so., neekoosa, wi) who had reached on a one-out double to over the centerfielder's head.
southwest minnesota state tied the score 1-1 with a solo homerun by amanda tucci. They would take the lead with two more runs on a two-run shot to left center by amanda burkhart giving the mustangs a 3-1 lead.
the golden bears cut the lead to 3-2 off a pair of doubles by mattson and
mallory olson (sr., stillwater, mn) in the fourth inning.
burkhart hit her second two-run home run of the game with a line drive shot to left field in the fifth inning jumping out to a 6-2 lead.
they added five runs in the top of the seventh inning on two hits, three walks and a cu error.
sophomore
tiffany rodd (so., cloquet, mn) would hit her team-leading seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the seventh, but that would be all the bears would get.
southwest minnesota state scored 11 runs, with eight earned, off concordia starter
cassye mcmahon (fr., rescue, ca), who finished with three strikeouts and nine walks.
nsic pitching leader amanda johnson held the golden bears to four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and no walks.
m. Olson was 3-3 with two doubles, a run and a rbi, while mattson and
anna bjorlin (so., hermantown, mn) each had two hits, with a run and rbi.
game 2 - sw minnesota st. 5, concordia 3
the mustangs broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh with two runs off concordia starting pitcher
jenn kaminski (columbia height, mn).
for the second straight game, the golden bears scored first in the bottom of the first inning, taking a 2-0 lead. Junior
natalie mast (oakdale, mn) led off the game with a single up the middle and scored when
abby brundidge reached on an error by the left fielder.
concordia's second run of the inning would come when
sami mattson reached on a fielders choice and later in the inning score on another mustang error.
the golden bears extended the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth on a walk by
anna bjorlin. Brundidge would move bjorlin to second and mattson singled to right center to score bjorlin.
southwest minnesota state cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the fourth on amanda tucci's second home run of the afternoon staying just inside the left field foul line. They would add one more in the fourth on three straight concordia errors to tie the game at 3-3.
after two scoreless innings, the mustangs scored two in the top of the seventh, with the first was scored on an error, while the second run was earned on a fielder’s choice.
kaminski took the loss allwoing five runs (three earned) on nine hits with four strikeouts.
smsu starting pitcher sara silke limited concordia to four hits. Mast finished with two of the cu hits, with bjorlin and mattson collecting one each.
each team committed four errors in the game. Concordia left six runners on, while smsu stranded nine.
southwest minnesota state has now won three straight nsic regular-season titles and will host the nsic tournament on may 2-3 in marshall. The pairings for the tournament will be released on tuesday night after the completion of all nsic games.
