ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Northwestern College softball team (4-0) kicked off the 2022 Kelly Laas Memorial Softball Invite in St. Cloud, Minn. with two games against NCAA Division II opponents. Northwestern won their first game of the day against Bemidji State University (Minn.) 6-3, and took game two against the University of Sioux Falls 3-0.
Game 1: Northwestern 6, Bemidji State 3
The first game of the day saw the Northwestern bats explode in the second inning. Tallying four runs in the second frame and responding to one run that Bemidji State put on the board in the top half of the inning.
Kamryn Etherington (So., Algona, Iowa/Algona) singled and was moved to second by way of a sacrifice bunt. A Gwen Mikkelson (Jr., Casa Grande, Ariz./Mission Heights Prep.) single, followed by a Bemidji State error allowed Etherington to score, tying the game at one. With runners on first and third a Jordyn Kramer (Sr., Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon) RBI single would give the Raiders the lead (2-1). After a double steal the Raiders would be in business with two runners in scoring position. Jennifer Boeve (Jr., Hastings, Neb./Hastings Senior) would single pushing both runners across and giving Northwestern a 4-1 lead.
Bemidji State would respond with a run of their own in the top of the fourth. With a 4-2 lead Northwestern would switch pitchers as Kate Kralik (Fr., Indianola, Iowa/Indianola) would enter the circle and get the final two outs of the inning in relief.
Northwestern would stretch out their lead in the bottom of the sixth after a Bri Giordano (Jr., Arroyo Grande, Calif./Arroyo Grande) double, who would eventually score on a passed ball. Then another Kramer RBI single would push the lead to 6-2.
Bemidji State would get a run of their own in the top of the seventh but Northwestern would prevail with their first win of the day.
Charli Bomgaars (Fr., Boyden, Iowa/Boyden-Hull) and Kramer would notch a multi-hit game, both tallying two. Kramer would also tie with Boeve for the team’s lead in RBI’s, both with two.
Game 2: Northwestern 3, USF 0
The second game of the day for the Raiders proved to be a pitcher’s duel with both teams combining for four hits through five innings.
The Raiders would finally get a few runs on the board in the top of the sixth inning with a two-out rally. Emily Strasser (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D./Sioux Falls Christian) would kick things off with a double followed by a Giordano single which scored Strasser. A wild pitch would allow Giordano to move to second and Etherington would earn an RBI single giving the Raiders a 2-0 lead. Northwestern would tack on one more run in the seventh to earn the 3-0 win.
Etherington would be solid in the circle all day for the Raiders, throwing 5.2 scoreless innings and only giving up two hits. Kralik would finish the final inning and a third in the circle.
Up Next: The Raiders will conclude the Kelly Laas Memorial Softball Invite tomorrow, February 12, with two games. The first a rematch against Bemidji State at 11 a.m. and the final game of the weekend against Southwest Minnesota State at 3 p.m.
