Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern State University freshman outfielder Ashley Gabler fought off 14 pitches from St. Cloud State University freshman right-hander Brit Krieg before lacing the 15th pitch into the gap in left center field for a 2-RBI double that lifted the Wolves to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Huskies Sunday afternoon in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference softball action.  With the victory, their first in NSIC play this season, the Wolves earned a split with the Huskies, who claimed Game 1 of Sunday's twinbill by a final score of 6-2.

SCSU moved to 20-31 overall after splitting all four of their games on the weekend and now sit at 7-11 in league play.  The Wolves moved to 4-29 overall and 1-17 in the loop.

Both teams battled through scoring threats and stranded runners through the first six innings of play in Sunday's second tilt.  SCSU left a pair of runners stranded in both the third and fourth innings, including runners at second and third in the third, but NSU senior pitcher Breanna Milnes and the Wolves' defense worked around the jams to get out of both innings.

The Wolves also had two runners in scoring position with one out in the sixth inning but came up empty, registering a fly-out and a ground-out to end the inning.

The Huskies took advantage of the Wolves' missed opportunity, as left fielder Melanie Upchurch led off the top of the seventh inning with a double before moving up to third on Sara Sbragia's sacrifice bunt.  Milnes then retired Nicole Brandenburg on a line-out straight back to the mound to make it a 2-out situation.  However, SCSU center fielder Sarah Nohrenberg, who had robbed several Wolves of potential hits earlier in the game with running catches in the outfield, broke up the shut-out bid with a double down the left field line that plated Upchurch and gave the Huskies the brief lead.

The Wolves, however, would not be outdone.  Freshman Brooke Norris started off the rally with a 1-out single, then advanced to second when sophomore Brianna Conrad drew a 2-out pinch-hit walk.  Both players advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch during Gabler's epic at bat, and scored easily on the game-winning hit.

Milnes, who notched 14 strikeouts in her outing on Saturday, registered six more in Sunday's complete-game win, allowing just four hits and no walks to pick up her third victory of the season.

The win came on the heels of SCSU's 6-2 win in Game 1.  The Huskies put together a 3-run effort in the top of the second inning to take early control of the game, then held the Wolves to a pair of 1-run innings the remainder of the way.

The Wolves will have little time to celebrate the victory as they are back on the field tomorrow, this time facing off against Bemidji State on the road.  NSU already owns a 6-2 non-conference victory over the Beavers earlier in the season.  Game time for Monday's twinbill is slated for 2 p.m. in Bemidji.  NSU will also be in Duluth for another re-scheduled NSIC doubleheader on Tuesday, a 1 p.m. start at Minnesota-Duluth.