Rosemont, Ill. – Trailing by three runs and down to its final out the Missouri S&T Lady Miners strung together a rally that came up a run short in a 4-3 loss to Winona State on Saturday evening at The Dome at the Ballpark in Rosemont, Ill. S&T (5-8) got three hits and a walk in the final inning but were unable to get the big hit.
The Warriors (7-1) jumped on top in the first inning getting a lead-off double from Katie Kolb and a single from Jamee Schleis to put runners at second and third with no outs.
Avery English (Carterville, Ill./Carterville) got Paige Keegan to strikeout swinging and then with one out McKenna Larsen grounded out to second to drive in Kolb. English avoided further damage getting Sam McLean to ground out back to the circle.
The Lady Miners tied the game in the top of the third.
Ashley Rausch (Washington, Iowa/Washington) led off the inning with a single up the middle.
Abby Klein (Kansas City, MO/Staley) followed up hitting a ball deep into the hole at short. The shortstop tried to retire Rausch at second but threw it into right field allowing Rausch to get to third. Klein got hung up between first and second in a rundown and was eventually tagged out but it allowed Rausch to score.
S&T missed a golden opportunity to take the lead in the top of the fourth loading the bases with one out on a single and two errors but a strikeout and a groundout back to the pitcher ended the threat.
Winona State regained the lead in the home half of the fourth. With two outs and a runner on first, English hit Mariah Schultz and then Shaye Witte followed with a single to left to score Lani Van Zyl.
The Warriors added to their lead in the fifth getting back-to-back two out hits from McLean and Allyson O'Herron to make it 4-1.
In the seventh, the Lady Miners had their first two hitters retired. Klein extended the game with a single up the middle.
Monica Weiss (St. Louis, Mo./Marquette ) followed with a walk to bring the tying run to the plate.
Kelly Heckemeyer (St. Elizabeth, Mo./St. Elizabeth) lined a single into left to score Klein and put the tying runs on base.
Savannah Fedorchak (Oakville, Mo./Oakville) kept the rally going lining a single into left center to score Weiss and put the go-ahead run at first. Winona State went to its bullpen and brought in Jordyn Kleeman. Kleeman got
Hannah Franceschini (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) to fly out to right center to end the game.
S&T finished the game with eight hits and was led by Heckemeyer with two. Klein, Weiss, Fedorchak, Franceschini, English and Rausch had a hit each. English got the start in the circle and allowed four runs on 10 hits with a pair of strikeouts and two walks.
The Lady Miners return to action next Friday traveling to Tahlequah, Okla., to take on Northeastern State in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
