Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

JAMESTOWN, N.D. – After a 21-day lay-off, the Northern State University Wolves found the going tough in their first outside competition since the team's Florida trip, dropping both games of a non-conference doubleheader to Jamestown College on Wednesday.  The Jimmies claimed an 11-1 win in five innings in the opener, then rallied for a 5-4 come-from-behind win in the night-cap.

The losses drop the Wolves to 4-12 on the season.  NSU is slated to kick off the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference slate this weekend at home.  Jamestown, meanwhile, improved to 14-6 overall.

The host Jimmies used a 10-run third inning in Game 1 to take control of the action.  JC sent 15 batters to the plate and rapped out 11 hits – including six straight to start the inning before recording an out on a sacrifice bunt – to inflict their damage.

NSU re-claimed one of those runs in the top of the fifth after senior Sam Francis and junior Lindsey Cegla laced back-to-back doubles to the fence to lead off the inning.

Sophomore Kelli Bornander was tagged with the loss for the Wolves, while Jamestown starter Jessica Lees picked up a complete-game win for the Jimmies.

The NSU offense picked up the pace to start Game 2, as the Wolves came alive to score three runs in the top of the first.  The Wolves played small-ball in the inning to manufacture all three of those runs, using a pair of walks, a sacrifice bunt and a couple of RBI singles from sophomore Brittany Huback and freshman Kelsey Robling to claim the early lead.

Sophomore Whitney Luhring tacked on the Wolves' fourth run with a solo home run in the top of the third.  Luhring's shot hit the top of the fence in the gap in right center before dropping over for her third homer of the season.  Luhring finished the day a triple short of the cycle on the day, going a combined 3-for-5 with a pair of walks.

After an Ashley Gabler single chased Jamestown starter Cassie Hite out of the game, the Jimmies relied on reliever Alyssa Record to shut down the Wolves offense and took advantage of a pair of errors and an Amy Shadinger home run to clamber back into the ball game.  Shadinger's 2-run shot in the bottom of the fifth inning plated pinch runner Amber Orizotti and tied the game at 4-4 heading down the stretch.

NSU's Bornander, who came on in relief for the sixth inning replacing starter Rachel South, then made short work of the Jimmies in the sixth, setting them down in order to give the Wolves one last shot at taking the lead.

The Jimmies, however, returned the favor, bringing back Game 1 starter Lees in the top of the sixth.  Lees worked around Robling's one-out single in the seventh inning to retire the Wolves and set the stage for junior Sarah Heinemann's walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh that gave the Jimmies the dramatic victory.

Both Bornander and Lees were tabbed with their second respective decisions of the day, as Bornander fell to 3-7 on the season, while Lees moved to 4-3 overall.

The Wolves are slated to host No. 7 Winona State on Friday and Upper Iowa on Saturday to kick off the NSIC portion of the 2010 season.  First pitch is scheduled for noon both days.