SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Winona State softball earned a 5-3 win over Concordia-St. Paul in the NSIC Tournament quarterfinals to advance to tomorrow's semifinals at 2:30pm.

Winona State improves to 41-13 on the season and keeps their quest for a league-best eighth NSIC Tournament championship alive after scoring four unanswered runs to hang on for the quarterfinal victory.

Braelee Jodarski set the tone immediately for WSU, making a back-handed diving catch from the shortstop position to make a web gem for the game's first out. The Golden Bears didn't wait long to bounce back, hitting a solo shot on the next batter to take a 1-0 lead. CSP then scored on another solo homer in the third inning to lead by two.

Sam Keller started a third inning push by leading off with a double and advancing to third on an Alyssa Woelfel flyout. Logan Anderson drove WSU's first run by scoring Keller on a sacrifice fly. Tiegan Mancuso legged out an infield hit to bring around Kiley Slaats and bring the game to a 2-2 tie.

After a quick 1-2-3 by Izzy Howe, Woelfel opened the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run over the left field fence to give WSU the lead. The Warriors added one more on a Jaden Johnson single up to middle to score Indigo Fish. CSP brought it to a 4-3 game, but Anderson doubled to left field and plated Mancuso to give Winona State an insurance run heading into the seventh.

Howe finished the game with a swinging strikeout to advance the Warriors in the NSIC Tournament. Howe earned the complete-game victory in the circle, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out three batters.

Keller, Bryn Elsenpeter, Johnson, and Mancuso each collected two hits for Winona State while Anderson tallied two RBIs. Woelfel garnered WSU's only home run while four Warriors picked up a double.

The Warriors will square off with Minnesota State on Friday, May 2 at 2:30pm in the NSIC Tournament semifinals in Sioux Falls, SD at Bowden Field.