In game one, Winona State got off to a hot start and used that to propel them to a 5-0 win and in game two, UMC managed just one hit, a homerun, leading to a Winona State 7-1 victory and a sweep of the NSIC doubleheader played in windy, but sunny Winona, Minnesota.
GAME ONE –
Dana Zarn (Soph. Winnipeg, Manitoba) singled to leadoff the game for UMC but they were unable to turn that into a run going scoreless in the first inning.
Winona State was able to get off to a strong start on offense, however, as they scored four runs in the first inning. After a quick first out, the second batter of the inning hit a solo homerun. The next two batters singled and a sacrifice fly scored another run. Another single scored the third run of the inning. The next hitter for Warriors hit an RBI double but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple to end the inning.
After the rough start to the game, the Golden Eagles starting pitcher, Sofia Gombos (Fresh. Salinas, CA) settled in as she got a 1-2-3 inning on four pitches in the second inning.
In the third inning, Zarn was able to reach base for the second time, but again the Golden Eagles could not get her around the bases with two outs
Winona State was able to get back on the board in the third inning. A leadoff single started the inning. The next batter singled to score the runner after she stole second base. Gombos settled back in after the consecutive singles to get the next three hitters out and keep the score at 5-0.
In the fourth inning, UMC got a leadoff single from Rachel Jones (Fresh. Fort Collins, CO) and a hit batter put runners on first and second with no outs. Jordan Peterson (Jr. Lakeville, MN) then hit a ball to center field that was dropped. Jones was thrown out at third after she had ran back to second to tag up on the fly ball. The Golden Eagles still had runners on first and second with one out but Winona State was able to get the next two batters out to end the Golden Eagles threat.
Gombos continued to keep UMC in the game as she pitched well again in the fourth inning retiring the Warriors in order to keep it at a five run deficit.
With two outs in the fifth, Zarn continued her solid day at the plate knocking a double to left field for her second hit of game and third time reaching base in three at-bats. But, Winona State got a big strikeout to end the inning leaving the Golden Eagles scoreless through five innings.
Gombos put up another zero in the fifth inning without giving up a baserunner as she got a variety of outs with a strikeout, flyout, and groundout in the frame.
In the sixth inning, UMC got another two-out hit, this time from Peterson, but again were unable to get that timely hit to bring a runner into to score.
In the bottom of the sixth, Winona State got a leadoff single that reached second on an error. After an out, another single put runners at the corners. A failed squeeze bunt gifted the Golden Eagles their second out before Gombos got a looking strikeout to end the inning.
In UMC’s last chance at scoring and extending the game, they were unable to get anything going in the seventh inning going down in order giving Winona State a 5-0 win in game one.
FOR THE GAME ONE BOX SCORE, CLICK HERE.
GAME TWO –
The Golden Eagles again got their leadoff hitter on to start the game. This time it was Jones reaching on a hit by pitch. But again, they were unable to advance her around to score after three consecutive outs.
Just like in game one, Winona State was able to get a first inning lead. The leadoff hitter singled to start the game. After a strikeout from the Golden Eagles game two starter, Katie Humhej (Sr. Surrey, British Columbia), a walk and a double brought in the first run of the game. The next batter reached on a hit by pitch to load the bases, and then a UMC error allowed the second run to score. Humhej recorded another strikeout and an out on the bases to get out of the inning with just the two runs scoring.
UMC was able to get a runner on and advanced to second base in each of the second and third innings but did not score and still found themselves scoreless on the day.
Humhej made quick work of things in those two innings out on the mound retiring the Warriors lineup in order including three strikeouts.
The Golden Eagles finally got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. Zarn continued her red-hot day at the plate with a leadoff homerun to center field to cut the deficit in half at 2-1.
Humhej struck out the first two hitters of the inning giving her nine consecutive batters retired. A two-out single broke that streak but she bounced back by getting her eighth strikeout of the game to end the inning.
The Golden Eagles went down in order in the fifth inning keeping the game at 2-1.
Winona State got an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning. After a leadoff double and a flyout a single with the batter reaching second on the play put runners at second and third with one out. Another double brought in the third Warriors run of the game. They tried scoring a second runner on the play but UMC threw her out at the plate. The Warriors still had a runner in scoring position but Humhej recorded another strikeout to limit the damage.
After another scoreless inning for the Golden Eagles, Winona State continued to add on to their lead in the sixth inning. A leadoff single was followed by a two-run homer to increase the Warriors lead to 5-1. That spelled the end of Humhej’s day on the mound with five completed innings, giving up five runs (four earned) and eight hits and one walk. She also had nine strikeouts. Kamryn Frisk (Sr. Anchorage, AK) came in as the reliever. The first hitter she faced greeted her with a single. She then got a pinch hitter to flyout for the first out of the inning. The Warriors added to their total again with another two-run homer to give them a 7-1 lead. Frisk got the final two outs via the strikeout to end the Warriors big inning.
Going into the seventh inning, the Golden Eagles needed six runs to keep the game going. They were unable to do so as the Winona State added three more strikeouts to their total of 15 for the game and 28 over both of the games on their way to a 7-1 win in game two and a sweep of the doubleheader.
FOR THE GAME TWO BOX SCORE, CLICK HERE.
The Golden Eagles record moves to 7-23 overall and 3-13 in NSIC play. They have three more doubleheaders coming up this week, all at home. They host St. Cloud State on Wednesday, Concordia-St. Paul on Saturday and Minnesota State-Mankato on Sunday. The weekend doubleheaders will start at noon. The weekday doubleheader times are still to be determined.
Winona State improves to 23-6 overall and 12-4 in the NSIC.
