TOPEKA, Kan - Winona State held on for a 5-4 victory over the Northwest Missouri State University softball team at Shawnee Lake Field.
Northwest dented the scoreboard first in the second inning.
Olivia Daugherty led off with a single to left.
Skylar Pieper laced a double to right-center to put runners in scoring position with one out.
Abby Nolte lifted a sac fly to center that plated Daugherty to give Northwest a 1-0 advantage.
Cora Schweitzer and
Lela Bryant drew walks to load the bases for Bearcat leadoff hitter
Lillie Filger. Filger hit a full-count pitch back up the middle that Winona State pitcher Abbie Hlas could not handle which allowed Pieper to score to make it 2-0.
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Winona State answered back in the top of the third with a three-run homer from Carly Engelhardt with no outs to give the Warriors a 3-2 lead.
Northwest was unable to capitalize on a leadoff double to right center by Aubry Griffiths in the bottom of the third. Hlas worked out of the jam and kept the Warriors on top, 3-2.
The Bearcats got the leadoff runner on in their third consecutive inning when Nolte reached on a single.
Brylee Kemper was inserted as a pinch runner and promptly stole second. However, the Bearcats could not convert on a couple of bunt attempts and the score remained 3-2 in favor of the Warriors.
The Warriors took advantage of a Bearcat miscue in the top of the sixth to up their lead to 5-2. Teaghen Amwoza placed a bases-loaded double down the left field line to score two after the Bearcats missed an opportunity for an out at third as Griffiths dropped a throw from shortstop
Lela Bryant.Â
The Bearcats battled back with a two-spot of their own in the bottom half of the sixth. Nolte drilled an RBI double to left to plate Pieper for the first run. Nolte would later score on an error by Winona State's Lbby Neveau to cut the margin to one.
Northwest's seventh-inning rally came up short when
Madison Friest grounded into a game-ending double play. Daugherty ripped a one-out single to left and
Omara Love came on to pinch run before Friest's grounder was scooped up at shortstop by Winona State's Abbie Hlas for the twin killing.