Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

Sioux City, I.A. - Racking up 22 hits on the day and 16 total runs the Northern State University softball team, took two games from The University of Minnesota Crookston. Now on a two game win streak the Wolves have improved to 15-19 on the year and 7-9 in the NSIC. The Golden Eagles then slid to 2-31 overall and 1-21 in league play. The two wins helped the Wolves to jump two spots in the league standings with the conference tournament quickly approaching.

The game one win was awarded to sophomore hurler Kami Smesmo who allowed only one earned run in the game. Her eight strikeouts for the game and ten on the day pushed Smesmo over the 100 mark for the season as she now sits at 106 and in the top ten of the league. In the 9-1, run-rule win for the women, Smesmo tallied her eighth win of the season in five innings of work.

NSU was on the board first in the top of the third inning as they plated four. Three straight singles by Haley Covais, Jordin Novak and Caitlin Moran began the inning for the Wolves. Kelsey Gale recorded her first sacrifice fly of the season and 15th RBI on the year with a high flyer to right scoring Covais. The hot hitting senior Kelsey Robling, who leads in multiple offensive categories, stepped to the plate to crush a three run home run to left field.

Needing some cushion the secure the win Covais connected for her third homerun of the year plating both Morgan Schultz and Lindsey Hubler who had reached on a hit by pitch and walk. Now up 7-0 the Wolves were down to their final out of the inning. Kelsey Gale began the two out rally skirting a hit through the left side on the infield. After homering in the previous at bat Robling connected for her second hit of the game and fourth RBI scoring Gale. Eryn Yancy recorded her 24th hit of the season plating the final run for the Wolves in the game as she singled to left field.

Game two saw seven innings of play for the Wolves and the third win of the season for senior Stephanie Horkey who allowed only one earned run on the day. As a team the Wolves matched their game one total of 11 hits while scoring a total of seven runs in three different innings.

The third inning saw the first runs of the game for the Wolves yet again as Robling dropped in a single to center scoring Novak and Caitlin Moran who had walked and single to the short stop earlier in the inning. With the two RBI, Robling brought her team leading total to 31 while also tying teammate Kelsey Gale for the team high 33 hits. The Golden Eagles answered back in the bottom of the inning scoring tow and tying up the contest in the process. To seal the win for Northern in the top of the sixth, Hubler swung for the fences, connecting with her second career home run to left center.

The Wolves were hot in the top of the seventh mustering a season high three doubles in the inning. Hubler began the double barrage with a shot to left center, moving Schultz across the plate for the fourth run of the game. Schultz had stroked a single up the middle the at bat before. Novak was credited the second double of the innings as she scored Covais, who had reached on an error, on a two out hit to right. Gale rounded out the record for the Wolves with a screaming double down the left field line.

A total of seven Wolves connected for at least one hit on the day. Moran, gale, Robling, Schultz and Covais each added three to their season totals. Freshman Jordin Novak produced one of her best days from the batters box with a .667 average and an RBI.

The softball team will be back in action tomorrow from the Morningside Little League Complex as they take on Bemidji State University. The doubleheader will begin at 11 a.m. from Sioux City. The Wolves look to continue the streak with only four conference doubleheaders left in the regular season before the NSIC tournament in Rochester, Minn.