CLERMONT, Fla. — The Southwest Minnesota State softball team extended its win streak to eight games on Thursday morning against West Virginia Wesleyan and Salem (W.V.). A five-hit day from Paris Van Dyke and Morgyn Otte and Jordyn Marsh’s combined 8 1/3 innings without an earned run allowed set the tone as the Mustangs defeated the Bobcats 6-3 and a 7-1 win over the Tigers.

The eight-game win streak is SMSU’s longest in over a decade, last being exceeded with a 10-game surge in 2009.

SMSU improves to 9-7 on the season with the pair of victories and will continue play at THE Spring Games against St. Thomas Aquinas (N.Y.) and Dominican (N.Y.) today in Clermont, Fla. The first game is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the second is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

SMSU 6, Salem 3

A three-run inning in the bottom of the third helped the Southwest Minnesota State softball team overcome a 3-2 deficit for a 6-3 win over West Virginia Wesleyan on Thursday morning.

SMSU led 2-0 through two innings before Wesleyan surged ahead in the top of the third with a three-run double from Andie Dizon with two outs.

Emma Humpal initiated the Mustangs’ go-ahead rally with a leadoff double, and a Brynn Webber single and Karlie Miller getting hit by a pitch loaded up the bases with one out.

Lexi Ingalls grounded out to drive in the tying run before Kaylee Hafermann walked to reload the bases with two outs. Still, Riley Kramolisch singled in another pair of runs to give SMSU a 5-3 lead.

Despite the third-inning hiccup, Miller went 5 2/3 innings in the win with each of her other frames going scoreless. She struck out five batters while allowing seven hits and a walk to improve to 5-3 on the season.

From there, Jordyn March sealed the deal on the Mustang victory with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn the save. She allowed two hits and no other base-runners.

SMSU got on the board first when Paris Van Dyke singled in Kramolisch in the first inning, and Kramolisch gave the Mustangs another run in the second when a Bobcat error after she grounded into a fielder’s choice allowed Miller to score.

Abby Russell gave SMSU one last insurance run in the sixth when she singled to drive in Hafermann.

Humpal and Dizon each finished the game with two hits, and Dizon tied Kramolisch with a game-high three RBIs. 

In the circle for Wesleyan, Josi Fix fell to 0-5 on the season after allowing four earned runs on five hits, three walks and a pair of hit batters over three innings. Kelsie Brown limited SMSU to one run over three innings of relief, walking two batters and allowing another pair of hits.

SMSU 7, Salem 1

Morgyn Otte and Jordyn Marsh combined to pitch seven innings while allowing one unearned run, keeping the Tigers off the board as the Mustangs coasted to a 7-1 victory.

Otte tossed the game’s first four innings to improve to 3-2 on the season. She struck out four batters while allowing five baserunners and one unearned run. In relief, Jordyn March earned her third save of the season by holding Salem scoreless on four hits with three strikeouts over the final three innings.

SMSU took the lead in the second inning when Kaylee Hafermann singled in Brynn Webber and Riley Kramolisch singled in Hafermann. The Mustangs never relinquished the lead.

Paris Van Dyke led all batters with four hits in the game, including a double. Marsh, meanwhile, led the game with three RBIs.

Marsh drove in her first run of the game when Humpal hit a leadoff walk in the fifth and March later hit a sacrifice fly to make the score 5-1. Two innings later, Emma Humpal doubled, Van Dyke singled and Marsh hit a two-run single with two outs to bring the game to its final score of 7-1.

Destiny Coble was charged with the loss for Salem, allowing two earned and three unearned runs on seven hits over four innings. In relief, Franchesca Alvaro surrendered a pair of earned runs on three hits.

SMSU bolstered its early lead in the fourth when Otte and Lexi Ingalls reached on consecutive errors and Abby Boxrud drove them both in when she reached on the third error of the inning.

Salem scored its lone run in the fourth. With two outs and the bases loaded, a fielding error by Russell allowed the Tigers’ lone run to score. Still, Otte struck out the next batter to end the frame.