MARSHALL, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead softball team dropped a pair of games to Southwest Minnesota State on Sunday, falling to the Mustangs 2-0 and 8-0 on a windy day in Marshall, Minn.
MSUM fell to 10-8 overall and 0-4 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference while SMSU improved to 13-11 overall and 2-2 in the conference.
"We have to work to play solid in all phases of the game," MSUM head coach
Kelsey Fehl said. "This weekend we weren't consistent in doing that. There is a lot of season left and we hope to learn from it going forward."
In Game 1, the Dragons managed just four hits – singles by senior catcher
Brittany York, sophomore first baseman
Lauren Meeker, senior center fielder
Mollie Annen and sophomore right fielder
Hannah Klug.
Junior pitcher
Morgan Nybo threw well in defeat. She allowed two earned runs in six innings, striking out three while walking one.
MSUM committed three errors in the game, compared to none for SMSU.
The Dragons had a threat in the first inning as Annen and Klug hit back-to-back singles to lead off the game. However, both runners were stranded as MSUM was unable to get a run across.
The game was deadlocked at 0-0 until the sixth when the Mustangs scored twice to take the lead for good, on their way to the win.
In the second game, MSUM managed six hits, led by a double from Annen. York, Nybo, sophomore second baseman
Jill Fox, sophomore left fielder
Carly Williamson and freshman third baseman
Sydney Beck each had singles. Fox had two stolen bases.
Nybo started and took the loss, allowing seven runs (six earned) in two-plus innings. Williamson finished in relief and allowed one run in two innings, striking out two.
The Dragons left seven runners on base in the game. Their best threat was in the second when Nybo singled. Two outs later, sophomore
Sam Gardner walked, and Williamson followed with a single to load the bases. A foul out to third ended that threat, however.
SMSU scored five runs in the first.
MSUM opens its home season on Tuesday against Minnesota Duluth. The doubleheader begins at 2 p.m. at the MSUM Softball Field.
