Photo by Jake McNeill Southwest Minnesota State University pitcher Karlie Miller throws from the circle during a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference softball game against Wayne State in Marshall on April 10, 2025. SMSU picked up a pair of wins in Leesburg, Fla. on Monday against Slippery Rock and Lake Erie.

LEESBURG, Fla. — The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team tied its program record for its longest win streak since moving to Division II. The Mustangs defeated Slippery Rock (Pa.) 9-6 and Lake Erie (Ohio) 11-2 to claim their 14th consecutive win, tying the high-water mark set by the program in 2007.

The win streak wasn’t SMSU’s only notable accomplishment on Monday, as senior pitcher Karlie Miller was also named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Pitcher of the Week for the first time in her career. Miller compiled an 0.75 earned run average and a 4-0 record over five appearances last week. She struck out 32 batters over 38 innings.

Monday’s pair of victories improve SMSU’s record to 15-7 on the year following a 1-7 start. The Mustangs will continue play in Lakeland, Fla. with a doubleheader against Florida Southern today starting at 4 p.m. before wrapping up THE Spring Games against Shepherd (Pa.) and Northwood (Mich.) in Clermont, Fla. on Wednesday.

Slippery Rock 6

Despite facing an early deficit, the Southwest Minnesota State University softball team rallied with a five-run sixth inning to down Slippery Rock 9-6 on Monday afternoon.

The Mustangs trailed 6-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth when Riley Kramolisch singled, Abby Boxrud singled and Abby Russell reached on a fielder’s choice to load up the bases with no outs. Emma Humpal struck out to put Slippery Rock a double-play away from ending the inning, but Paris Van Dyke came up clutch with a three-run triple to put the Mustangs ahead 7-6.

The rally continued when, after a Brynn Webber single, Jordyn Marsh drove in Van Dyke on an error by Slippery Rock second baseman Alexsa Hurd and Lexi Ingalls drove in Webber on a fielder’s choice to make the score 9-6.

Marsh shut down Slippery Rock in the bottom of the seventh to seal the win, retiring the side in order with a three-pitch strikeout to end the game. Marsh earned the win in the relief outing to improve to 5-2 on the season and limited Slippery Rock to one earned run on two hits with two strikeouts over 2 1/3 innings.

Karlie Miller started the game in the circle for SMSU, allowing three earned and two unearned runs over 4 2/3 innings. She struck out a pair of batters while giving up five hits and a trio of walks.

Slippery Rock got on the board in the top of the second when Naomi Childs drove in Shaylyn Shall on an error by Ingalls at second. Still, the lead was short-lived as Abby Russell singled in Kramolisch for the tying run in the third and Humpal drove in another pair of go-ahead runs with a single in the same inning.

Kramolisch tied Boxrud and Shall with a game-high three hits while Van Dyke’s three RBIs were also a game-high.

Kramolisch hit a sacrifice bunt to score Kaylee Hafermann in the fourth, but a a catcher’s interference call, two walks and three hits helped Slippery Rock to a four-run go-ahead inning. Slippery Rock also added one more run for good measure in the top of the sixth before SMSU rallied ahead in the bottom of the frame.

Paige Gresgott fell to 0-4 on the season after allowing three earned and five unearned runs over 5 1/3 innings for Slippery Rock. She struck out six Mustangs while allowing 10 hits and three walks before being pulled for Alexa Uphold, who gave up one unearned run on one hit while getting a pair of outs.

SMSU 11 Lake Erie 2

Facing off against a winless Lake Erie team, Southwest Minnesota State broke a fifth-inning tie when it surged ahead with a seven-run frame to secure an 11-2 victory over the Storm.

With the game tied at 2-2, Grace Anderson hit a leadoff double for the Mustangs and a Kaylee Hafermann walk and Riley Kramolisch reaching on a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners with two outs. When the Storm committed a throwing error trying to catch Kramolisch stealing second, Anderson was able to score for the go-ahead run.

Still, the Mustangs’ rally was far from finished. Abby Boxrud and Abby Russell doubled consecutively to give the Mustangs a three-run cushion and Emma Humpal singled to make it four runs.

After Paris Van Dyke singled to put runners on the corners, Weber hit an RBI single and Anderson drove in Webber and Van Dyke when she reached on an error.

Russell doubled twice for SMSU in the game while Boxrud had a single and a double and Kramolisch and Van Dyke each singled twice. Russell’s three RBIs were also a game-high. No Storm players recorded more than one hit.

Morgyn Otte improved to 4-2 on the season by limiting Lake Erie to one earned and one unearned run on five hits over four innings. She also struck out a pair of batters

In relief, Jordyn Marsh threw 1 2/3 perfect innings with three strikeouts while Jordan Bussey struck out the one batter she faced.

CJ Garcia gave Lake Erie the lead in the bottom of the first with an RBI single, but Van Dyke hit a triple to score Humpal in the top of the second before scoring the go-ahead run herself on a wild pitch.

Erie briefly retook the lead in the fourth when Garcia scored on an error by Ingalls but SMSU rallied back ahead in the next inning.