St. Cloud State (MN) opened up a four-run lead after two innings and went on to a 12-6 victory over the Mountain Cats, Tuesday morning at the Spring Games in Clermont, Fla.
 
After St. Cloud State jumped on Mountain Cat starter for Addison Hilligsberg for four runs in the top of the first, Pitt-Johnstown battled right back with two of their own in the bottom of the frame.  Meghan McDonough reached on an error, Jenna Tallman was hit by a pitch, and Julia Mooney walked to load the bases with one out.  McDonough scored on a wild pitch from Madeline Nutter, before another wild pitch allowed Tallman to score to cut the deficit in half
 
The Huskies scored two more on Maggie Fitzgerald's two-run homer in the top of the second off of Pitt-Johnstown reliever Mahlon Yonkin, then increased it to 8-2 on back-to-back RBI singles from Brooke Holmes and Bethany Weiss in the fifth.
 
Base hits from McDonough and Tallman put runners on first and third with two outs in Pitt-Johnstown's half of the fifth, and Mooney followed with an infield single that allowed McDonough to score and cut it to 8-3.
 
However, St. Cloud State tacked on four more in the top of the sixth. Grace Frechette doubled to left to drive in two, before a Rainna Stangle's pinch hit sacrifice fly, and Hannah Harm's pinch-hit single up the middle allowed Morgan Honeycutt to score to close it out.
 
McDonough went 1-for-3 and scored two runs, while Mooney had a hit and an RBI, and Tallman added a hit and scored a run for the Mountain Cats, now 1-4.  Audrey Paterson also singled and walked.
 
Hilligsberg took the loss for Pitt-Johnstown and fell to 0-1 after surrendering four runs on one hit and five walks in just 1/3 of an inning.  Mahlon tossed the final 5.2 innings and gave up eight runs on 10 hits.
 
Holmes was 3-for-5 with an RBI, Fitzgerald and two hits, including the two-run homer, and Frechette drove in three to help the Huskies improve to 17-6.
 
Emma Eickhoff earned the win in relief of Nutter and limited the Mountain Cats to one run on three hits, while striking out seven in 4.1 innings.