Kilat Fitzgerald / Winonan

After starting the season with a pair of wins over Grand View University, the Winona State University women’s softball team claimed three wins out of a total of four games played at the NSIC/MIAA crossover tournament at the RCTC Dome in Rochester.

The Warriors began the weekend with a 6-2 victory against Pittsburg State University.

In the third inning, Winona State struck first with sophomore pitcher/outfielder McKenna Larsen’s RBI sacrifice brought in first-year infielder Lani Van Zyl. The Gorillas got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning with a home run to left field to take a 2-1 lead, but the Warriors took control after that.

Winona State tied the game after an unearned run in the fourth inning and added four runs in the sixth, thanks to RBIs from senior shortstop Chelsey Rodenkirch, Van Zyl and junior third baseman/shortstop Allyson O’Herron.

Senior pitcher Hannah Lythberg said the Gorillas were a tough test for the Warriors.

“They were really good,” Lythberg said. “It was a dogfight at first, but it just comes down to really small plays.”

The second game of the day was against Washburn University, where the Warriors raced out to an 8-0 lead by the fourth inning.

Senior outfielder Natalie Kalmes brought in fellow senior Reed Karsten on a RBI groundout for the team’s first run.

This was followed by four more runs in the second, including Karsten’s first three-run homer of the year, bringing the team ahead 5-0.

Rodenkirch added a ground-rule RBI double and later scored on a balk before an RBI triple by Van Zyl made it 8-0.

The Ichabods responded with four runs in the fourth off Larsen and a pair of runs off sophomore pitcher Alex Walker in the fifth to cut the lead 8-6 before Lythberg finished the game with her first save of the season.

The Warriors were put on the wrong end of a shutout in their opener on Saturday, losing 4-0 against Pittsburg State despite pitcher Alex Walker striking out five batters.

The final game against Northwest Missouri State University was a victory of 6-0 thanks to Larsen’s 3-for-3 game with 4 RBI which included a 3-run home run in the fourth inning.

Winona State head coach Greg Jones said he liked the team’s performance over the weekend.

“We gave ourselves some opportunities,” Jones said. “Our kids played well the entire weekend. We’re exactly where we want to be. It’s about competing.”

Winona State (5-1) will return to the RCTC Dome on Wednesday to compete against Wisconsin-Parkside for a doubleheader scheduled for 3 p.m.