Box Score

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Northern State University softball squad opened the season with a heartbreaker loss, dropping an 11-10 decision to the St. Cloud State University Huskies Friday evening in a non-conference battle.  The Wolves, who took to the field for the first time in 2011 and for the first time under first year head coach Kristi Villar, pounded out 11 hits and scored all 10 of their runs in the fourth inning, but committed three errors and allowed a big Husky fourth, as well.

The loss drops the Wolves to 0-1 overall ahead of the SCSU Husky Dome Invitational, which opens the season for NSU.  SCSU, meanwhile, picked up its second win of the year and moved to 2-3 overall.  Neither squad has opened conference play.

After breezing through the first three innings of scoreless play, the Wolves exploded for 10 runs and seven hits in the fourth inning.  All ten of the runs were earned, as the Huskies did not commit any errors to aid the NSU effort.  The Wolves send 14 batters to the plate in that effort, the first nine of whom reached base safely before the Huskies recorded an out.  Even then, junior first baseman Brittany Huback, the tenth batter of the inning, recorded an RBI with her ground out to the left side of the infield.

The Huskies finally escaped the NSU onslaught and repaid the favor in the bottom of the fourth.  SCSU took advantage of an NSU fielding error that indirectly led to four unearned runs as part of an eight-run Husky inning.  Three of those came on Ally Koski's 3-run homer with two outs that brought the Huskies back to within striking distance.

Senior left-hander Kelley Suggs replaced starter Jordan Florey and got the Wolves out of the inning still clinging to the lead.  After a quiet fifth inning, the Wolves got a lead-off single from senior Lindsey Cegla in the top of the sixth, but could not do anything with the opportunity.

The Huskies, however, regrouped in the bottom of the sixth and touched up Suggs for three hits and three runs to take the lead.  The tying and go-ahead runs came with two on and two out when Casey Hiers knocked out a two-run double to put SCSU on top for the first time.

With one last chance at the win, the Wolves got two hits and a walk in the top of the seventh, but were again thwarted by the SCSU defense.  Sophomore Kelsey Robling was thrown out at second trying to stretch a lead-off single into a double.  After freshman Lindsey Hubler flew out to the left fielder, the Huskies managed to work around a two-out walk and single to get the third out and preserve the victory.

Suggs was tagged with the loss in relief for the Wolves.  SCSU reliever Chris Saiz, who came on in the middle of the fourth inning, picked up the win for the Huskies.

The Wolves remain in St. Cloud for the remainder of the weekend as part of the annual Husky Dome Invitational.  NSU will face off against fellow Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foes Minnesota, Crookston and MSU Moorhead tomorrow and against Southwest Minnesota State and Augustana on Sunday.  All four games will be considered non-conference contests.