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Warriors Go Unbeaten To Win NSIC Tournament

Story by: Winona State Sports Information Office


MARSHALL, MN -- Winona State University ran through the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament unbeaten, beating Southwest Minnesota State University twice in the final day of the tournament to capture the title and an automatic berth in next week's NCAA Division II North Central Regional in Emporia, KS..

The Warriors took advantage of a two-out error and went on to score two runs and take a 3-2 lead in a win over No. 8 nationally-ranked and No. 1 Seed Southwest Minnesota State University in the first meeting of the two teams on the day. Then, after SMSU came back through the loser's bracket, the Warriors posted a 4-1 win in the title game.

Terra Halron came up with a two-out double to score Laura Wright and Callie Givens and put the Warriors ahead for good 3-2 in the top of the fourth inning in the first meeting of the two teams.

Southwest Minnesota State had taken a 2-0 lead with two runs in the last of the first before Mollie Bjelland's two-out triple in the top of the third scored Halron for WSU and cut into the SMSU lead.

Kristen Fossell went the distance to take the mound win, but had put the tieing run on second base with two outs in the last of the seventh. But after an intentional walk to create a force at any base, Fossell got the final out on a fly out to centerfield.

In the championship game, Jenny Wilmes and Chelsea Rosenow each drove in two runs in the sixth and seventh innings respectively. Wilmes' two-run double in the sixth gave the Warriors the lead 2-1 and Rosenow's two-out, two-run base hits iced the contest.

Chelsey Ewing pitched the first six-plus inning for the win before Fossell came on in the seventh with no outs, a run in, and SMSU with runners on second and third. But Fossell struck out the next two batters and then got the final out on a fly to leftfield.

(Southwest Minnesota State Boxscore)

(Southwest Minnesota State Boxscore)

(Championship Game)

Last Modified: Monday, May 05, 2008 9:31 by Michael Herzberg