ABERDEEN, S.D. - The Northern State softball team (3-31) was thrilled to finally appear on their home field on Tuesday afternoon, but big innings for the University of Mary (26-26) resulted in a sweep of the Wolves.  Northern was shut out 11-0 in the first game and went down 12-4 in the second.  The Wolves will look for rebound NSIC wins against Minnesota, Crookston tomorrow afternoon as they host a doubleheader with a 2:00 p.m. start.

NSU VS. U-MARY GAME 1 BOX SCORE

Game 1
	1	2	3	4	5	-	R	H	E
U-Mary	2	0	0	2	7	-	11	13	1
Northern State	0	0	0	0	0	-	0	3	4

The Wolves gave up two unearned runs in the first inning of the day, but rebounded with solid defense to keep the score to 2-0 after three innings.  The Marauders put another two runs on the board with four hits in the fourth inning, but it was a 7-run fifth that put the game out of reach.  The visitors started the frame off with five straight hits, including a two-run homer, and went up 11-0 with seven total hits and two NSU errors in the inning.

Northern put four runners in scoring position throughout the game, but with just three hits they were unable to get on the board.  The team's biggest threat came in the fifth inning as Tara Bruns got on base with an infield single and advanced to third from a Kaylee Johnson double.

NSU VS. U-MARY GAME 2 BOX SCORE

Game 2

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	-	R	H	E
U-Mary	0	1	4	0	0	0	7	-	12	16	2
Northern State	0	0	0	0	0	3	1	-	4	5	4

Despite a number of fielding blunders, the Wolves were right in the thick of things late in the second game.  Four of U-Mary's first five runs were unearned and the squad led 5-0 going into the sixth.  The Wolves picked up their first hit with a Samantha Francis single to left field and received an extra out with a Mary error that put aboard Johnson.  JamiJamie Horner drove in a run with a double and Heather Olson drove in two more with a deep single.  The Wolves entered the final inning in a 5-3 battle.

The Marauders once again opened an inning with a flurry of hits on their way to a seven-run frame.  The first three came around to score on a bases loaded double to right center field from Danelle Lunn, setting her RBI mark at six for the game.  Five more hits were knocked out before the inning ended and NSU was deep in a 12-4 trench with a final at-bat.

Breanna Milnes stepped to the plate and doubled to left field.  The Wolves' inning was once again extended with a Marauder error, and NSU took full advantage.  Johnson knocked out a double to center field to drive in the team's fourth run, but the game ended as Christi Schulte was tagged out at home plate.