WINONA, Minn. – It was Groundhog Day for Minot State University softball Sunday.
No matter what they did, the outcome was the same.
In a frustrating double header, Minot State had No. 22 ranked Winona State down late only to have the Warriors rally in both, as MSU dropped a pair of 4-3 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference softball games at Alumni Field.
The Beavers (24-16, 5-12) carried a 3-1 lead into the sixth in game 1 only to have WSU score twice in the sixth to tie the game at three and win it in the seventh with a single run. MSU was even closer to the upset win in game 2, taking a 3-1 on an RBI single by
Ali Cygan (Sr., SS, Bozeman, Mont.) in the top of the seventh, but allowed three in the bottom of the inning.
In game 1, Minot State starter
Mindy Lorimor (Sr., P, Thurman, Iowa) was lights out through five innings, allowing just two hits and a single run. She gave up two hits and two runs in the sixth and the game winning run in the seventh without a ball leaving the infield. In all, she allowed just one earned run in the tough-luck loss to fall to 15-11.
Reed Karsten picked up two hits for Winona State (33-8, 15-1) and Ashley Walker gave up seven hits and three runs for her 15th win of the season.
Cygan staked the Beavers to a 2-0 lead with a solo home run in the first inning, while
Ashley Hill (Fr., 1B, Mesa, Ariz.) singled home
Jordan Grant (So., CF, Adelnato, Calif.) in the fifth. Cygan went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Grant went 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Game 2 was nearly the same game as Minot State starter
Alyssa Cornejo (So., P/UTL, Riverside, Calif.) shut down the Warriors for much of the game. After giving up one in the fourth, she pitched out of a jam in the fifth and cruised in the sixth, but ran into trouble in the seventh. She allowed three of the 10 WSU hits in the game, including a game-tying HR to Walker, who went 3 for 4 with two RBIs, before the Warriors ended with the walk-off win.
Hanna Lythberg gave up just four hits to improve to 16-4 and Allyson O'Herron and Karsten had two hits apiece for WSU in the win.
Grant again collected two hits in the game and Cygan and Hill added the other two for the Beavers. Cygan drove in a run with a ground-out RBI in the seventh to give MSU the 3-1 cushion.
Vanessa Christiuk (Jr., 3B, Dufrost, Manitoba) drove in a run with a bases loaded hit by pitch and
Rylee Cygan (Fr., C, Bozeman, Mont.) drove in another with a sacrifice fly, scoring
Rachel Burdette (So., UTL, Temecula, Calif.).
Minot State returns to the Magic City for six straight home games, starting with Minnesota State University Moorhead Tuesday at South Hill Complex. MSU plays Concordia University, St. Paul Saturday and Minnesota State Sunday to complete the weekend.
– GO BEAVERS –