The Southwest Minnesota State softball team went 2-0 on Monday at the Rebel Spring Games in Kissimmee, Fla., defeating Lees-McRae 6-1 in Game 1, and upsetting No. 14-ranked Saginaw Valley State in a 1-0 shutout.
Against Lees-McRae, Mustangs pitcher Chelsey Evans moved to 2-0 on the year, allowing just one run in a complete-game victory.
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Chelsey Rodenkirch scored the game-tying run on a errant throw by Lees-McRae, and SMSU took the lead for good with a four-run fifth inning.
Christine Borowiak drilled a triple to right-center to give SMSU the 2-1 lead.Borowiak, Ashley Gigax and Kris Penick also scored runs in the inning for the 5-1 advantage. Gigax later belted an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
Against Saginaw Valley State, Mustangs freshman pitcher Rachel Hoeppner threw a four-hit complete-game shutout, striking out three and walking two for the victory.
In a pitchers' duel, Saginaw Valley State's Jillian Williamson also went all seven innings, striking out seven and allowing just two hits.
Scoreless heading into the top of the sixth inning, Borowiak led the inning off for SMSU with a double. With one out and Borowiak on third, the Mustangs put on a squeeze play with Krista Steen, bringing Borowiak home for the game's lone run.
In the bottom of the seventh and with a runner on base, Hoeppner ended the threat by forcing a groundout for the game's final out.
At 4-0 overall, SMSU plays a pair of games today in Kissimmee, playing Ashland (Ohio) at 8 a.m. before playing Holy Family (Pa.) at noon.
| Game 1 | |
| L-M | 100 000 0—1 5 4 |
| SMSU | 010 041 X—6 11 1 |
| L-M-Holli Crickenberger; SMSU-Chelsey Evans. WP-Evans. LP-Crickenberger. 3B: SMSU-Christine Borowiak. 2B: L-M-Crickenberge. LOB: L-M-5; SMSU-7. | |
| Game 2 | |
| SMSU | 000 001 0—1 2 0 |
| SV | 000 000 0—0 4 2 |
| SMSU-Rachel Hoeppner; SV-Williamson. WP-Hoeppner. LP-Williamson. 2B: SMSU-Christine Borowiak; SV-Happ. LOB: SMSU-4; SV-5. |