Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

DULUTH, Minn. – The Northern State University Wolves staged a late come-from-behind effort, using a pair of 2-out, 2-RBI hits from senior Sarah Curley and freshman Ashley Gabler in the top of the sixth inning before squelching a mini rally from the host University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs in the bottom of the seventh to claim an 8-7 win as the Wolves split a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader with the Bulldogs on Tuesday afternoon.

The host Bulldogs made quick work of Game 1, limiting the Wolves to just two hits in an 8-0 victory in five innings.  UMD, however, could not hold the Wolves back in the late going of Game 2.

With two outs and runners on first and second in the top of the sixth, Curley smacked a 2-RBI double that scored freshman Cat Zimmerman from second and senior Breanna Milnes all the way from first to tie the game up at 6-all.  Gabler, the hero of NSU's 2-1 win over St. Cloud State on Sunday that gave the Wolves their first conference win of the season, followed with a 2-run homer to put the Wolves on top for good.

The win, the team's fourth in the last five games, moves the Wolves up one spot in the conference standings.  NSU now stands at 7-30 overall and 4-18 in conference play.  The Bulldogs slipped to 19-20 overall and 10-9 in NSIC action.

After struggling through Game 1, the Wolves, playing their fourth conference doubleheader in as many days, spotted the host Bulldogs a 6-0 lead through the first four innings of Game 2 before storming back to cut the lead to just two runs with a 4-run effort in the top of the fourth.

Sophomore Lindsey Cegla started off the rally in which the Wolves batted all the way through their lineup with the first of three straight singles.  The Bulldogs then countered with a pair of outs before committing a costly error in left field that cleared the bases for the Wolves and left Gabler standing on third base.  Freshman Rachel South then came through with an RBI single to plate Gabler before the Bulldogs and relief pitcher Heather Stemper worked out of the inning.

UMD tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth inning on center fielder Myriam Trepanier's lead-off homer, but it wasn't enough as the Wolves responded with the clutch hits for Curley and Gabler to grab the lead.

Milnes and the NSU defense worked out of a Bulldog rally in the bottom of the seventh inning to preserved the victory.  Milnes, a senior right-hander, picked up her fifth victory of the season with the complete game effort, striking out four batters while allowing her first walk in her last seven appearances.  Milnes, in her last four appearances, has tossed four complete games, going 3-1 while striking out 29 batters to just one walk.

The Wolves will return home for some much-needed rest before facing off against Minnesota Crookston and MSU Moorhead in another pair of NSIC doubleheaders this weekend.  NSU was slated to play at Valley City State on Wednesday, but the Vikings have cancelled the remainder of their spring sports schedules due to the flood situation in Valley City.  This weekend's contests are slated to begin at noon on both Saturday and Sunday.