ST. CLOUD, Minn. - Central Missouri Jennies Softball finished their time in St. Cloud, Minnesota splitting games against Augustana and Southwest Minnesota State. The Jens went 2-3 in their time in Minnesota and are 7-8 on the season.
Game One: Central Missouri 1, No. 20 Augustana (S.D.) 0In a rematch of last season's Super Regional, it was a classic pitcher's duel as the Jennies rode starter
Emily Robinson to the 1-0 shut out win. Robinson threw all seven innings scattering six hits and striking out two while issuing four walks. She evened her record at 3-3.
Robinson was also responsible for the Jennies lone run of the ball game. She drove home
Makayla Schoonover who was running for
Alexis Koop to break the scoreless tie. She finished 1-for-3 on the afternoon.
Ali Jo Rogers was also one of six Jennies to record a hit. She also swiped her 16th stolen base of the season.
Augustana's best chance to score came in the second inning. With one out, they loaded the bases thanks to back-to-back singles and walk. Robinson was up to the task, getting an infield pop up and a line out to end the frame.
The Vikings again loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but Abby Chandler hit into a double-play ending that threat.
Karlee Koopman started for the Vikings and threw six innings allowing six hits and one walk while striking out three. She also picked up a pair of hits for Augustana. Koopman, Carly Peterson and Sarah Kennedy all went 2-for-3 at the dish.
Game Two: Southwest Minnesota State 9, Central Missouri 7From a pitcher's dual to a slugfest, the Jennies and Mustangs combined for 16 runs on 20 hits in game two of UCM's doubleheader.
The Jennies held a 7-6 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth, but SWMSU scored three in the inning to comeback with a 9-7 win.
For the first three innings, UCM had an answer for everything the Mustangs did. SWMSU plated two in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly and RBI double. The Jens then came right back in the top half of the second with two runs of their own.
Emily King tripled home
Alex Leonhart and then
Makayla Schoonover, running for King, scored on
Allie Dishinger's single up the middle.
Southwest Minnesota reclaimed the lead right back, this time scoring three runs in the bottom of the second. Abbie Decker picked up a two-RBI single and then scored on Karmann Carroll's RBI single, putting the Mustangs up 5-2.
Once again, the Jennies answered right away starting with Rogers who led off with a double and stole third. UCM got RBI singles from
Lauren Mabe and King and a sacrifice fly from Leonhart to the score at 5-all.
After the Mustangs went up 6-5 on an RBI ground out in the fourth, Leonhart drove home Mabe, who led off the inning with a triple, with her second sacrifice fly of the game, tying the score at six.
UCM took their first lead of the game in the top of the sixth thanks to Rogers' single up the middle to score
Katie Giacone. The lead didn't last long though, as the Mustangs put up a three spot in the bottom of the inning, the big blow coming on an RBI double from Sam Flack.
The Jens got a runner on in seventh, bringing the tying run to the plate, but SWMSU kept them off the board for the 9-7 win.
Rogers, Mabe and King all picked up two hits for UCM. Rogers stole two more bases, giving her 18 for the season. Leonhart reached base twice and drove in two runs on sacrifice flies.
Jordan Johnson got the start for UCM and threw 1.1 innings allowing four runs five earned. She gave up six hits and issued one walk.
Allison Tonyan took the loss pitching four innings in relief and surrendered four runs, and five hits while striking out three and walking one.
Alex O'Connor was the winning pitcher for SWMSU. She threw 4.1 innings out of the bullpen and gave up two runs on three hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
Carroll finished 3-for-3 at the plate. Decker and Flack each had two RBI.
The Jennies are off for 13 days now. When they return to the diamond it will be their first MIAA games of the year when they head to Fort Hays State for a doubleheader with the Tigers on March 4. First pitch is at 12 p.m.
