MARSHALL, MINN. – While continuing to battle for a position in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference tournament, the Northern State Wolves softball team picked up their first win against Southwest Minnesota State in 19 tries on Sunday afternoon while splitting the double header with the Mustangs falling 12-11 before taking the 9-5 victory in Marshall, Minnesota.
The Wolves improved their program best record to 24-24 while jumping to 13-11 in the NSIC while the Mustangs held their record at 21-19 and 12-12 in the loop.
In game one, the Wolves battled back from a 6-1 deficit after the first inning to tie the game at 6-6 in the sixth inning. In a game that featured a back and forth affair, the Mustangs took a 9-6 lead over the next two innings before the dramatic seventh inning.
With Caitlin Moran on first base, Brooke Norris hit a triple into right center field to start a rally for the Wolves. Down to their final out, Kelsey Robling coaxed a walk from the Mustangs followed by an Eryn Yancy singled to right field scoring Norris and pushing Robling to third. The next batter, Whitney Luhring hit a sharp single into right center scoring Robling to tie the game.
With the score tied at 9-9 Rachel South hit a go-ahead two-run double scoring Luhring and Yancy. The Wolves scored the five runs on five hits to carry the 11-9 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
In the bottom half, the Mustangs rallied to take a 12-11 victory after utilizing two hits and two Wolves errors including the winning run who scored on a short stop error trying to pick up the third out.
Stephanie Horkey entered the game in relief for the Wolves in the first inning and helped the Wolves rebound by retiring 12 straight Mustang batters. Luhring led the Wolves with a 4-5 effort batting, picking up two RBI's while scoring two runs and stealing a base. Moran went 3-5 with a triple and a double while scoring two runs and stealing a base.
The second game saw the Wolves jump out to a 7-0 lead and not look back in Kelli Bornander's complete game effort in the circle.
The second inning saw the Wolves score five runs on four hits while taking the early 5-0 lead. Morgan Schultz got the scoring started by hitting a single into left field, which sent Luhring home. With the bases loaded, Moran hit her second triple in the double header, scoring three runs. Brooke Norris hit a sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher scoring Moran.
Tacking on two more runs in the third, the Wolves opened a commanding 7-0 lead over the Mustangs as Whitney Luhring hit a towering two-run home run into left center field.
Fighting back, the Mustangs put five runs on the board, utilizing a pair of Northern Errors in the fifth and sixth innings. However, the Wolves proved to be too strong enroute to the 9-5 victory.
On top of her 4-5 effort in game one, Luhring went 2-4 in game two with two runs scored and two RBI's as Moran again had three hits while knocking in three runs.
The Wolves will continue to battle for a birth in the Northern Sun Conference Tournament as they travel to Minnesota State for a double header scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. in Mankato, Minnesota.
