First Duluth Game Recap
The opening pitch marked the day in which Winona State University would embark on the opening series in the Northern Intercollegiate Sun Conference (NSIC) play. They traveled to the University of Minnesota Duluth to duel with the Bulldogs on March 21. The first series of the double header opened with bang for the Warriors. Alyssa Woelfel hit an RBI (runs batted in) single with Kiley Slaats scoring to kick off the day for the Warriors with a 1-0 lead out of the first inning.
Bralee Jodarski, the leader in home runs for the Warriors, spoke about the Warriors starting conference play.
“I think what excites me most for conference play for the team is, having the opportunity to compete and represent the Winona State softball program in a very strong conference, where the games get even more exciting, and the end post season goals become closer and closer every day,” she said.
The hot streak would continue in the second inning with Logan Anderson hitting another scoring single with runs from Sam Keller and Tiegan Mancuso. A hit by Indigo Fish allowed Slaats to score once again to close out the inning with the Warriors leading 4-0. Duluth would storm back in the next four innings with three runs from the third and sixth inning compared to the Warriors sole score in that timeframe from a sacrifice-fly by Bryn Elsenpeter to allow Fish to score in the fifth. The Warriors, down 5-6 in the final inning, battled back and won the first game 8-6 with Mancuso closing the Warriors scoring with an RBI single for Elsenpeter. Izzy Howe pitched against 26 batters, finishing with seven hits, six runs, and six strikeouts. Jayda Berg closed the game with one hit and three strikeouts against six batters.
Second Duluth Game Recap
The latter game of the double header in Duluth was nothing but Winona State dominance from the opening inning. The Warriors started the game on an 8-0 run to warm up the bats. Fish singled to send Slaats and Sam Keller home for the first RBI of the inning. Jodarski went the yard to raise Winona State to a 6-0 lead, but they were not done yet. Slaats’ triple finished the Warriors’ early hitting streak to send Keller and Mancuso home to close the inning.
Berg, one of the Winona State’s top pitchers, talked about the pitching staff’s impact on the season.
“I am very proud of our staff, and I am so honored to be a pitcher on this team with Cyndy Jones as our mentor,” she said. “She is a huge role model for me, and I know that with her guidance, we are ready for anything that comes our way each and every game.”
The Bulldogs would not come within six for the rest of the game. Kendel Jenkins homered for the Bulldogs in the second inning and Nicole Schmit hit an RBI single in the fifth, allowing Morgan McMillan to get home for the final time in the game for Duluth. Winona State closed out the Bulldogs in the sixth inning. A Keller home run and a pair of RBI doubles from Woelfel and Elsenpeter closed the game with a four-run closer to end the game on mercy rule. Berg pitched for the Warriors, picking up ten hits, two runs, and 8 strikeouts on the Bulldogs to close out the game. Winona State would beat Duluth for the second time on the day with a final score of 13-2.
Berg talked about the team’s output so far this season, “I am so excited to see our team work together to win games offensively and defensively. Our bats have been hot recently, but right there with it is our strong defense.”
First St. Cloud Game Recap
After a successful road trip to Duluth, Winona State wanted an encore performance for their second double header of the weekend. They traveled to St. Cloud to face the Huskies for their second NSIC opponent of the season. Pitching was the aim of the game for the Warriors in this matchup. Izzy Howe took the mound and faced 25 batters on the day. Her final stat line finished with one hit, one run allowed, and four strikeouts in a solid performance on the road. The Warriors needed it on a cold morning for the batter’s box.
Winona State started their opening period with a quick offense. They went on to pick up two runs in the first. Woelfel hit an RBI single to centerfield to score the first run of the game with Slaats reaching home plate. Another single from Elsenpeter helped score the second run of the inning for the Warriors. Strong fielding for the Warriors helped secure the 2-1 victory for the former game against the Huskies. Warriors would gain five hits compared to the Huskies sole rip in the game.
Second St. Cloud Game Recap
Winona State headed into their final weekend series game with a three-game win streak. Looking to perform the sweep, they needed to regain success on the plate. To open the game, the Warriors went on to score the first five runs in the game. To open the inning, Fish smacked a single which allowed Keller to score first. Woelfel helped clean up the inning with another RBI which Logan Anderson scored on. Woelfel hit another runner home with Slaats gaining another run. Jodarski finished the run with a homer in the fourth inning to reach a 5-0 lead in the middle of the inning. St. Cloud needed a response fast.
Jodarski talked about being a lead hitter for Winona State.
“It isn’t something that I ever expected, but it has been an awesome ride,” she said. “I am just grateful that I have the opportunity to feel that type of excitement.”
At the halfway point in this ballgame, St Cloud found the ball through their batters. It started with Grace Frechette hitting an RBI triple to give Maggie Fitzgerald the first run of the game for the Huskies. Rainna Strange would get Frechette home on a single. Morgan Honeycutt closed the inning with a two-run homer, cutting the Warriors lead to one after the fourth. Elsenpeter scored off an error in the fifth to give Winona State some breathing room, but St. Cloud followed it up with strong innings to close out the game. Kaylee Collins popped up a double, allowing Frechette to score again as well as Grace Dahmen earning a run. Fitzgerald followed it up in the sixth with an RBI single for Bree Beck to give St. Cloud the lead for the rest of the game. Winona State would drop the second game to St. Cloud 7-6.
The Warriors weekend record for their series against Duluth and St. Cloud would finish at 3-1 after dropping the second game to St. Cloud. Winona State now sits at 23-7 overall with a 3-1 record in conference play. NSIC play has officially begun for the Warriors. This week they take on Concordia University, St. Paul, MSU-Moorhead, and Northern State University in their first conference home series of the season.
