Historic run for Storm softball comes to a close at NCAA regional

WINONA, Minn. - Simpson forced a winner-take-all game after knocking off Saint Mary's 3-2 in the opener, but eventually fell 10-2 to put a close on the 2025 historic season for Storm softball.

In a year where the Storm won 34 games, the most in 25 years, took home a share of the A-R-C regular season title, and advanced to a NCAA regional final, Simpson rewrote many of the record books in 2025. Facing-off against the seventh-ranked team in the country three times in 24 hours, Simpson went to the wire against the Cardinals.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

• Simpson quickly set the tone of the game, scoring Steen in the opening frame on an RBI single from Ehlers to make it 1-0.
• After a couple quiet innings from the Storm, Ehlers jump started the offense in the fifth with another RBI hit, this time a double to score Kriegel. James followed suit with an RBI single of her own to stretch the Storm lead to 3-0.
• LaFave gave the Storm four quiet innings, holding Saint Mary's in check with no runs. It wasn't until the fifth inning when Saint Mary's managed to get on the board. An error and a single plated two runs for the Cardinals before Tucker was called in to shut down the rally with a strikeout and a fly out.
• Tucker managed to strand the game-tying run on second in both the sixth and seventh to secure the win and a chance to move on to a NCAA Super Regional.

GAME ONE LEADERS

Alexis Ehlers - 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 2B
Ashlyn Steen - 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 1B
Emma LaFave - 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER
Kylee Tucker - 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

• Neither side waited long to get the offense going, with Saint Mary's adding two on a home run in the top of the first.
• Simpson responded right back, as Ehlers stayed hot from game one, driving in Steen with an RBI single to make it 2-1 after one inning.
• A bases-loaded hit by pitch in the third plated the Cardinals' third run of the game but the Storm limited the damage with a foul out to end the inning.
• The Storm managed to get a runner on in both the third and fifth but were unable to string together hits to cut into the Cardinal lead.
• Saint Mary's added to their lead in the sixth, scoring two runs on RBI singles to make it a 5-1 ballgame before adding five in the seventh to seal the game.
• James added one in the seventh on a solo shot before the day for Simpson came to a close.

GAME TWO LEADERS

Alexis Ehlers - 1-for-3, 1 RBI, 1 1B
Ashlyn Steen - 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 1B
Mackenzie James - 1-for-3, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R