WINONA, Minn. – The Golden Bears softball team (22-18, 9-11 NSIC) concluded their 12-game road stretch falling twice to #17 Winona State (35-5, 20-0 NSIC) at Maynard R. Johnson softball field in Winona on Tuesday afternoon.
 
The first game of the doubleheader was decided by one run, as neither team was able to score until the seventh inning when the Warriors used a walk-off single to remain perfect in NSIC play. Concordia held a 3-1 lead after three and a half innings of play in game two, but Winona State capitalized on a 10-run fourth inning to go on to win 11-3 in five innings.
 
The Golden Bears are set to return home for their second home doubleheader of the season this Friday, when they will host Bemidji State. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. at Carlander Field.
 
GAME 1: WINONA STATE 1, CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL 0
Game one was a tight one, with Winona State managing to score in the bottom of the seventh to pull off the 1-0 victory. Both the Bears and the Warriors had three hits in the game, but WSU came up with two important singles when it counted.
 
Junior Kali Kaestner pitched the entire game for the Golden Bears, giving up less than four hits for her second start in a row. The Warriors hit a single in the second inning, but Kaestner did not give up another hit in the game until the seventh.
 
Carlie Hart, Hannah Carlson, and Emma Adamek each had a hit for CSP in the game, and Katie Carlson also reached base on a walk in the fifth.
 
In a game where baserunners were scarce, it was the Warriors who had someone reach base first, hitting a single up the middle to lead off the second inning. Kaestner did not allow this runner to even reach scoring position, though, as she struck out the next batter and forced the next two to foul out.
 
The third and the fourth innings featured 1-2-3 innings for both teams, but the Bears threatened in the fifth. Hannah Carlson opened the inning with a single to center and Katie Carlson walked to put two runners on base. But WSU's Jordyn Kleman, who ranks second in the NSIC in strikeouts, managed to strike out a CSP batter for the last out of the inning.
 
The Warriors also had runners on base in the fifth, reaching on a walk and a hit-by-pitch, but the Concordia defense also held strong, stranding two runners on base.
 
Like the fifth inning, the sixth also looked promising for the Golden Bears as both Adamek and Hart singled to get two runners on with no outs. However, the next three batters were retired in order to end the threat.
 
Winona State continued to keep pace with the Bears, also getting two runners on base in the bottom of the inning. These runners would be left on, though, as Kaestner pitched out of it, getting the final out of the inning to pop-up to second baseman Cam Veenbaas.
 
In the seventh Concordia was unable to get anyone on base and needed to hold the Warriors to force extra innings. WSU led off the final inning with a single and then proceeded to bunt the runner over. The Bears got the next out, but Carly Kordich came up with a two-out hit to score the runner on two, giving them the walk-off win.
 
With the loss, Kaestner is now 4-4 on the season. She gave up one run on three hits and two walks while also striking out two in the outing.
 
GAME 2: WINONA STATE 11, CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL 3 (5 INNINGS)
Game two of the doubleheader featured more active offenses for both teams with the Warriors holding a 7-5 edge in hits over the Golden Bears. CSP had a 3-1 lead in the contest heading into the bottom of the fourth inning, but WSU took over that lead for good with 10 runs in the inning, eventually ending the game in five innings.
 
Despite the Warriors only collecting two more hits than the Golden Bears in the game, they were able to really capitalize on seven free baserunners as five WSU players were walked and two more were hit by a pitch. This really came into play in that big fourth inning, as all but one of those free bases were issued in that inning.  
 
WSU struck early in game two, using a sac fly to get Katie Kolb home in the first inning. Kolb had walked earlier in the inning and advanced to third on a hit from Lani Van Zyl.
 
The Bears tied it up in the top of the third, when Veenbaas opened the inning with a single and Adamek reached on an error by the second baseman. Hart then drove in Veenbaas with a single up the middle to make it 1-1.
 
An inning later, Concordia took over the lead scoring two runs all with two outs. Katie Carlson started the two-out rally with a single and Veenbaas followed suit. Adamek then came up with a clutch double to center that scored both runners. This put CSP ahead 3-1.
 
The Warriors answered in the bottom of the same inning, unloading for 10 runs. The inning started with a pair of walks and a WSU player being hit by a pitch to load the bases. An infield single got one run across and a grand slam from Rylee Stout cleared the bases, putting WSU up 6-3. Winona State loaded the bases up again on a walk and two singles and another hit batter got an additional Warrior run across. The final two runs of the inning scored on an RBI single and a fielder's choice.
 
Concordia was unable to get much going in the top of the fifth, with pitcher Liz Pautz closing the door with a 1-2-3 inning, giving the Warriors the 11-3 win in five innings.
 
Samantha Sullivan took the loss on the mound for CSP, moving to 10-8 on the season. Sullivan gave up seven runs on four hits and three walks in three innings. Kaestner and Hanna Mortenson combined to pitch an inning in relief, giving up the final four runs.