Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Crookston, Minn. – After coming of six straight close losses, the Northern State Wolves softball team closed out the University of Minnesota, Crookston with a clean sweep in a five inning 8-0 victory and a 7-6 victory.

The Wolves improved to 14-20 while boosting to 5-7 in the NSIC as the Golden Eagles fell to 9-22 and 3-11 in the NSIC.

Freshman Kami Smesmo pitched a complete game, five inning gem for the Wolves, allowing four hits, striking out two and walking none. Smesmo faced the minimum, three hitters, in four out of five innings.

Offensively, the Wolves got eight runs on seven hits including a 2-2 effort with a RBI and run scored from senior Brooke Norris. Kelsey Robling posted a 1-1 batting line with a walk and hit-by-pitch scoring two runs.

The Wolves posted four runs in the third and fifth inning while Smesmo and the Wolves defense only allowed base runners in the second inning for the 8-0 victory.

The second game started off much of the same for the Wolves, as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead after two innings. However, the     Golden Eagles tied the game up over the next two innings with the score at 3-3 at the end of four.

The sixth inning saw each team score a run apiece to keep the game knotted, this time at 4-4. Ashley Gabler singled through the right side and was advanced to second on a sac bunt from Norris. Gabler was pushed to third base on a single from Caitlin Moran and was hit home as Robling hit a grounder the third base.

Minnesota, Crookston tied it up with a run on three hits in the bottom of the sixth.

Freshman Morgan Schultz used the long ball in the top of the seventh to boost the Wolves into a 7-4 lead. The three run dinger scored Sarah L'Allier and Cat Zimmerman.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Golden Eagles tried making a charge as the Wolves pushed them out. Smesmo came on in relief but the UMC recorded two runs on three hits off of her. Kelli Bornander re-entered into the game with zero outs in the inning and finished out the victory.

Bornander was credited with the victory, giving up ten hits and walking one in seven innings work. Schultz led the Wolves with a 2-4 effort with four RBI's and the run scored on her home run. Moran, Gabler, and Whitney Luhring each added two hits.

The Wolves continue their road trip tomorrow with a double header at Minnesota State-Moorhead with first pitch at 12 p.m.