Sam Thiel/Winonan
The No. 20 Winona State University softball team started its conference play sweeping St. Cloud State Friday afternoon in St. Cloud. The Warriors were victorious in the opener 7-2 before getting a shutout from Hanna Lythberg to complete the sweep with a score of 6-0.
Winona State scored in the second inning with a triple by Jenny Nelson. Morgan Lintz then got hit by a pitch to place runners on the corners with no outs.
Nelson crossed the plate soon after, thanks to an error by St. Cloud, while Lintz came across on an RBI groundout by Allyson O’Herron.
The Warriors chalked up three more runs in the third, with Brooke Piotrowski walking and Reed Karsten hitting a single to put runners on the base paths yet again. Ashley Walker drove in Piotrowski, and Mary Turitto added a single to score a pair later in the inning to improve the Warriors’ advantage to 5-0.
The Huskies were able to plate two runs in the bottom half of the third. The Warriors quickly answered with Karsten knocking a triple to bring around Lexi Perez in the fourth, and Lintz scored Walker in the sixth to for a 7-2 lead.
Karsten said that the Warriors’ took advantage of the opportunities presented to them.
“We were just really clicking offensively as a team and being patient with what pitches she was throwing to us, and taking advantage when given the opportunity,” Karsten said. “Also, when they got those two runs in the first game, we were still calm as a team and answered back with putting up a few more runs.”
Perez paced the Warriors’ offense with three hits out of four at bats, while Karsten chipped in a couple of hits of her own to add to the Warrior effort.
Walker improved her record to 6-2 on the season, giving up just two runs and five hits while striking out a pair.
“This weekend we were successful on defense because we came out and played with confidence,” Walker said. “We had the mindset that we were going to make the play on any ball that came our way.”
Walker also got Winona State on the scoreboard in the third frame of the nightcap, getting on base with a single, stealing second and scoring on a passed ball.
The Warriors exploded offensively in the fourth, posting five runs to build their advantage to 6-0.
Turitto led things off with a walk and scored on an RBI double by Jessica Kullmann. A couple more walks loaded the base paths for the Warriors, with Karsten sending one home with a single.
Walker brought in an additional run with an RBI fielder’s choice to make it 4-0, and Lintz finished it off with a two-run single of her own.
Perez went two of three from the plate in the second game, finishing her day connecting on five of her seven at bats. Kullmann and Karsten had a pair of hits apiece in the game with Karsten ending the doubleheader with four hits.
Lythberg was in control throughout the afternoon, allowing just four hits while tossing her third shutout of the season. The sophomore tied her season-high with six strikeouts while improving her record to 9-1 on the mound.
“The key to winning both the games this weekend was the defense always giving their 100 percent effort to back Ashley and I up on the mound. I have complete trust in my teammates to do the work behind us as well as at the plate,” Lythberg said. “We have to continue to take one game at a time and give all we have in each opportunity we are given, and I believe we will be very successful.”
Winona State University (19-3 overall, 2-0 NSIC) will have its home opener on Wednesday when it hosts Augustana for a doubleheader.
