ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Golden Bear softball team (17-15, 11-7 NSIC) took on #20 Winona State (25-6, 14-4 NSIC) on a Thursday afternoon at Carlander Field. CSP fell in game one as an excellent pitching performance by Winona State, propelled them to a game one victory. In game two the Warriors offense exploded early as they rode that wave to a doubleheader sweep.
 
The Golden Bears will hit the road this weekend and head north for a matchup with Minnesota Crookston on Saturday, and Bemidji State on Sunday. The first game of both doubleheaders will start at 2 p.m. 
 
Kali Kaestner struck out a season high 12 batters as she went toe-to-toe with Jordyn Kleman in the game one pitching duel. 
 
GAME ONE: Concordia-St. Paul 0, Winona State 2
The Warriors jumped on the board with a leadoff home run from Katie Kolb, her second of the season. Abbie Hlas walked, and it looked like the Warriors were going to make a threat for more runs but Kali Kaestner was able to get a big strike out, a fly out to right field and a fly out to center field to end the inning.
 
Winona State was able to tack on another run in the top of the seventh inning with another leadoff home run. This time it was Libby Neveau who hit her seventh home run of the season to left center to make it 2-0 Warriors. That would be the final score as both teams' pitchers were displaying their best stuff all game. 
 
The Golden Bears were held to just three hits the entire game as Jordyn Kleman went all seven, allowing zero runs on three hits and eight strikeouts. 
 
Kali Kaestner went all seven as well, allowing five hits on two runs while striking out 12 batters. She suffered the loss and moved to 8-5 on the season. 
 
Kris McIntyre went 1-3, Grace Beseman went 1-3 and Amanda Parsons was also 1-3 in the game one loss. 
 
GAME TWO: Concordia-St. Paul 1, Winona State 7
The Warriors struck first again in game two as they hung three runs in the first inning. After a hit and a walk, Aryka Knoche was able to pick up a big strikeout. Rylee Stout doubled to left center field, scoring the two runners and making it 2-0 Warriors. Libby Neveau followed that up with a single through the left side which ricocheted off a diving Taylor Griffin's glove into left field, allowing Stout to score to make it a 3-0 game.
 
The Warriors added two more runs in the top of the second inning. After two quick outs, a walk and a double set up Alison Nowak for a chance to increase the Warrior lead. She came through with a two-run single to give Winona State a 5-0 lead.
 
Winona State added another run in the top of the fifth inning. Once again, the Warriors should good two out hitting as Libby Neveau sent a solo shot to left field, her eighth home run of the season, to increase the Warriors lead to 6-0. 
 
Concordia would get on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning. Emma Lero rocked a pinch hit double in the right center gap to lead off the inning. Meagan Bliese came back in to pinch run for Lero and she advanced to third on an Annalise Scamehorn ground out to back to the pitcher. Kris McIntyre then hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Bliese to make it a 6-1 game. 
 
Winona State answered right back as once again they got a clutch two out hit. Libby Neveau crushed a solo home run to the trees in left center field, her second of the game and her ninth of the season to make it a 7-1 game. 
 
That would be all that Liz Pautz would need as she went all seven innings for the Warriors, allowing only one run on four hits while striking out seven. She moves to 9-3 on the season.
 
Aryka Knoche started the game for the Golden Bears, she went two innings allowing five runs on six hits and striking out three. She suffered the loss and is now 4-3 on the season. Bryanna Olson was strong out of the pen as she went five innings, allowing only two runs on four hits and striking out four batters.
 
Amanda Parsons went 1-3 in this game, Jacey Defries and Emma Lero each collected a pinch hit single, Taylor Griffin went 1-3 and Kris McIntyre picked up the lone RBI for the Golden Bears in game two.