WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The Minnesota State University Moorhead softball team picked up its first win of the season on Saturday evening with a 7-5 win over California (Pa.) in Winter Haven, Fla. Earlier in the day MSUM lost to Lewis (Ill.) by an 8-2 score.
The Dragons are now 1-5 on the year.
Sophomore right fielder
Jordey Smith was 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored in the win while junior center fielder
Elizabeth Johnson was 2-for-3. Sophomore shortstop
Kaiya Sundeen was 1-for-1 with two RBI while senior first baseman
Payton Gaber had a hit and an RBI. Junior designated hitter
Ashley McCance and sophomore catcher
Jordie McNeilly had hits for MSUM while sophomore left fielder
Shay Weber and sophomore second baseman
Samantha Gjerde had an RBI.
"It was good to see our offense getting going and show some fight in our second game tonight," MSUM head coach
Amanda Reckamp said. "That's something we haven't pulled together until today."
Sophomore pitcher
Anna Lang picked up the win for MSUM, giving up three earned runs in 4.1 innings. She walked three and struck out two.
"Anna had a good second outing in a row. She has prove to be an arm that we can rely on as we look to steady things," Reckamp said.
Freshman
Abby Muelrath allowed an unearned run in 1.2 innings while junior pitcher
Becky Berth picked up the save with a scoreless seventh inning.
MSUM scored twice in the second, with one run being driven in by
Shay Weber on a groundout, to take a 2-1 lead. California came back to take the lead 3-2 after the fourth before MSUM broke free for five-un fifth inning to take the lead for good. Sundeen had a two-run single for MSUM while Gaber, Gjerde and Smith each drove in runs in the inning. That gave MSUM a 7-3 lead.
California got within 7-5 but no closer as Muelrath and Berth provided effective relief.
In the opener, MSUM lost to Lewis, 8-2. MSUM committed five errors which led to four unearned runs.
Senior third baseman
Emma Dummer was 2-for-3 for MSUM while Johnson was 1-for-4. Gjerde and Smith scored runs while sophomore Sundeen had an RBI.
Berth took the loss for MSUM, giving up eight runs, only three earned, in six innings. She struck out three and walked one.
MSUM was down 4-0 after the top of the second but cut the lead in half in the bottom of the frame. Gjerde walked and moved to second on a fielding error on Smith's bunt. Gjerde moved to third on a wild pitch and would score on Sundeen's groundout. Smith later scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 4-2.
A grand slam in the sixth pushed the Lewis lead to 8-2.
MSUM will face Pittsburgh-Johnstown at 1:30 p.m. Central time on Sunday and then will face Urbana (Ohio) at 3:45 p.m. CT. Those games will be in Auburndale, Fla.
