Sam Thiel/Winonan

Ashley Walker posted her second shutout victory in a row as the Winona State University softball team earned a doubleheader split against Minnesota State on Tuesday, April 16, in Winona. The Warriors fell in the opener 7-3 before coming back to take a 3-0 win in the second game.

Walker gave up five hits in the nightcap while striking out one. None of the Mavericks drew a walk against Walker, while she improved her record to 12-0 on the season.

Winona State got out to an early lead in the second game, plating a run in the first inning as Jenny Nelson walked with the bases-loaded to bring home Reed Karsten.

Neither team scored until the fifth when Walker scored Shannon Nelson on a RBI single. The Warriors added another run in the sixth with Brooke Piotrowski knocking a single to drive in Jessica Kullmann to help preserve the 3-0 victory for Winona State.

The Warriors also jumped out to a quick lead in the opener, with Piotrowski starting things off with a single and later scored on a double by Walker. The Mavericks would fight back, scoring four runs in the bottom of the frame, including a two-run blast by Anna Cole.

Winona State came knocking at the Maverick’s door in the second, plating two runs as Jordan Petersen recorded an RBI single and Walker was hit with the bases-loaded to cut the deficit to one, 4-3. But that would ultimately be as close as they got, with the Mavericks recording runs in the second, fifth and sixth innings to seal the deal and post the 7-3 victory.

Walker finished the day with three RBI while Piotrowski recorded a team-high three hits.

Winona State used a detonating offense and powerful pitching from Britt Stewart and Walker en route to a sweep of Southwest Minnesota State Saturday, April 20, in Winona.

The Warriors totaled 23 runs in the doubleheader matchup, posting 15-3 and 8-0 wins in games that only lasted five innings.

After getting out of a jam in the top half of the first inning in the opener, Winona State answered with seven runs in their part of the frame to start the offensive onslaught. Stewart, Kullmann and Piotrowski each recorded two-RBI base hits in the outburst to fuel the Warriors.

Winona State plated four more runs in the second to increase its advantage to 11-0 with two-run singles by Kullmann and Petersen. Stewart and Nelson each had RBI hits in the third inning to move the Warrior lead to 13-0 while Natalie Kalmes recorded the first home run of her career in the fourth, a two-run blast.

Seven different Winona State players posted a pair of hits in the first game, with Kullmann netting a team-high four RBI.

Stewart improved her record to 9-6 on the season after only giving up three runs and six hits on her way to a complete game.

The second game was much like the first on the offensive end for the Warriors, plating five in the first en route to an 8-0 victory. Walker started things off in the opening inning with a two-run shot to left while Kaitlin Hardie chipped in a two RBI single and Nelson recorded a RBI base hit of her own later in the inning.

Stewart, Kullmann and Hardie each added RBI hits in the bottom half of the second to push the Warrior lead to 8-0. Stewart went 3-for-3 in the nightcap while Walker and Hardie each recorded a pair of hits. Hardie posted three RBI in the game while Walker went 2-for-2 with a couple of RBI’s.

Walker was phenomenal yet again on the hill for the Warriors, giving up just two hits in a complete game shutout. Walker (13-0) struck out four on her way to blanking her fifth opponent in her past six games. The sophomore has now only given up two runs in her last 37 innings on the mound.

Walker blasted home runs in both games and netted the win on the hill in the second game, as the Winona State completed its big homestand with a sweep of Sioux Falls Sunday, April 21, in Winona. The Warriors claimed a 5-1 victory in game one and posted a 9-1 victory in the nightcap.

Walker went 3-of-7 in the doubleheader with her homers–including a grand slam in the second game, and seven RBI’s total. She also tossed a complete game in game two, giving up just one run and five hits in six innings on the mound.

The Warriors got two runs in the first inning of the opener, with the two runs coming on Walker’s first home run of the day. Sioux Falls got a run in the third inning to break into the Warrior lead but Winona State answered back with a trio of runs in their part of the inning, with Walker plating her third RBI of the game and Morgan Lintz ripping a two-run single to push the advantage to 5-1.

Stewart tossed an impressive performance on the mound, only giving up four hits and a run while striking out five. The senior improved to 10-6 on the season.

It was close early in the nightcap; tied 1-1 when Winona State burst out with four runs in the bottom half of the fourth. The Warriors had recorded a run in the third thanks to a RBI single by Stewart, but the Cougars were able to knot the game up just one inning later.

A pair of singles and a walk loaded up the bases for Winona State in the fourth, which were then cleared by Walker’s second round-tripper of the day, this time a grand slam over the left field wall.

This is the second time this season that Walker has hit a grand slam.

Winona State chipped in three more insurance runs in the fifth on a Piotrowski single and a two-run base hit by Karsten before finishing the game with a run thanks to a Cougar error in the sixth.

Stewart finished the nightcap 3-for-4 while Piotrowski, Karsten and Walker each added two hits.
The lone run that Walker allowed in the game was unearned while the sophomore only gave up five hits. She is now 14-0 on the season and 15-0 in her pitching career.

With the sweep the Warriors are now 29-7 overall on the season and 14-2 in NSIC play. Winona State is now the lone team atop the conference standings with just six games left in the regular season.

The Warriors will hit the diamond Wednesday, April 24, when they travel to Wayne State.

Contact Sam at [email protected].