Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

ABERDEEN, S.D. – A clutch, 2-out, bases-clearing triple from sophomore Lindsey Cegla and a 6-strikeout complete-game shutout from senior Breanna Milnes helped lift the Northern State University Wolves to a sweep of the visiting Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles on Saturday in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader.  The wins also gave the Wolves their second 3-game win streak of the season as they claimed Game 1 by a final score of 6-5, followed by a 5-0 victory behind the strong pitching of the Wolves' senior ace.

Winners of six of their last seven, the Wolves improved to 9-30 overall and 6-18 in NSIC play, while the Golden Eagles remained winless on the season, falling to 0-26 and 0-18 in league action.

The Wolves staked out a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning before falling behind after an offensive onslaught from the Golden Eagles in the third and fourth innings.  UMC pushed a pair of runs across in the third, aided by a 1-out triple from catcher Sarena Diederichs.

UMC got another 1-out RBI triple from Shawna Steinbrink in the fourth inning that sparked a 3-run effort and put the Golden Eagles up by a 5-1 margin.

The Wolves got one run back in the bottom of the fifth after senior Sarah Curley worked a lead off walk, then scored on freshman Brittany Huback's 2-out double.  Huback was then thrown out at third, trying to advance on the throw home to end the inning.

After a scoreless sixth inning, sophomore Brianna Conrad worked a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, sending the Wolves' bats to the plate for the winning rally.  NSU proceeded to load the bases with one out, aided by a fielding error by the Golden Eagles' left fielder, but the Golden Eagles threatened to end the inning early after relief pitcher Kelsey Van Ackeren got Huback to pop up to make it a 2-out situation.

The Wolves, however, found a way to work around the outs, as everyone moved up a base on another UMC fielding error, making it a 5-3 game with the bases loaded and Cegla at the plate.  The sophomore second baseman laced a pitch just fare down the right field line, clearing the bases and giving the Wolves the dramatic victory.

Conrad, who pitched three and two-thirds innings in relief, came up with her first decision of the year after allowing just one hit and striking out five batters.

Game two belonged almost entirely to Milnes, who tossed her fifth straight complete game to notch her fourth straight win.  Milnes is now 6-15 on the year and has allowed just one walk in her last eight appearances.  In that stretch, she has struck out 36 batters, including 14 in an April 18 win over Concordia-St. Paul.

Freshman third-baseman Whitney Luhring was the offensive sparkplug for the Wolves in that game, going 3-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.  Huback, Curley and freshman Brooke Norris also had a pair of hits apiece, as the Wolves racked up an even dozen off of Van Ackeren.

NSU will wrap up the NSIC portion of its schedule on Sunday, as they get set to host Minnesota State Moorhead in a conference doubleheader.  First pitch is slated for noon at the North Complex.