MANKATO, Minn. – The Winona State softball team used a six run second inning to post a 6-5 victory over Minnesota State and advance to the championship game of the NCAA Regional Tournament Saturday in Mankato, Minn.

Box Score

After falling behind 3-0 early on a windy day, the Warriors scored six in the bottom of the second to take a lead they would not give up.

Winona State is now 36-12 on the season and will return to action at 11 am Sunday in the regional tournament’s championship game.

Minnesota State scored twice in the first and once more in the second to open an early 3-0 lead. The Warriors came all the way back in the bottom of the second, scoring six runs to stake themselves to a 6-3 advantage.

Britt Stewart led off the second with a base hit with Jenny Nelson and Jessica Kullmann drawing walks to load the bases. Jordan Peterson sent home the first WSU run of the inning with a single while a MSU throwing error on a ground ball by Brooke Piotrowski allowed Kullmann to score and make it a 3-2 game. Ashley Walker followed with a single up the middle, scoring two and putting WSU up for the first time, 4-3. Morgan Lintz put the finishing touches on the big inning, hitting a two-run single of her own to make the score 6-3.

Walker’s two-run single in the second inning gave her 60 RBI on the season, tying the WSU mark for the most runs batted in during a single campaign (Kim Wachholder, 2012).

Minnesota State got to within one, 6-5, after scoring twice in the fourth on a RBI single and Warrior error. WSU shut the door from there, with Walker striking out Samantha Holien to end the game.

Walker allowed seven hits and five runs – four earned – while striking out three. The win moves the sophomore to 19-2 on the season.

The Warriors collected six hits in the contest, with six different players collecting the base hits. Walker and Lintz led the team with two RBI each while Peterson also had one.