Sioux City, I.A. - Nearing the end of the season, the Northern State University softball team swept Bemidji State University in Sunday softball play. The Wolves saw production up and down the line up including a total of five team home runs for the weekend. NSU is now back to .500 in the league with a 9-9 record and 17-19 record on the season. In the sweep, the Beavers fall to 8-33 on the year and 2-22 in NSIC play. 

NSU continued to stay hot from the plate as each game witnessed at least one hit by eight of the nine Wolves stepping to the plate. On the day, Northern scored a total of 16 runs while connecting with the pitch for 27 team hits. The freshmen duo of Haley Covais and Macey Engel it their fourth and second home runs of the season against the Beavers. 

The Wolves managed to edge out five runs to give Kami Smesmo the win in game one. Smesmo struck out eight in the complete game shutout of the Beavers. Kelsey Gale began the game for NSU with a single in the top of the first. Kelsey Robling stepped to the plate just two at bats later to score Gale on a sacrifice fly to center. With two outs in the inning Haley Covais homered for her second time on the weekend, scoring Eryn Yancy and Morgan Schultz in the play. On that stroke of the bat, Covais placed herself atop the team leader board in homeruns with Robling at a total of four a piece. 

One more run was added for the Wolves in the top of the fourth as Jordin Novak scored on an error by the BSU third baseman. Novak had singled up the middle to reach base in the inning. Macey Engel led the offense for NSU with a game high three hits. In addition to eight Wolves reaching base by a hit, Caitlin Moran, Lindsey Hubler and Covais were all able to connect for two a piece in the game.

Northern continued to rain down hits in game two with a team total of 14, just shy of the season high of 15 versus Concordia. The win included 11 runs for the women along with a career high five RBI for freshmen Haley Covais. Winning pitcher Stephanie Horkey also matched her season high of four strikeouts in the game. The two wins on the weekend propel Horkey to her best career season for the Wolves with a 4-6 record. 

Down by one after the first two innings of full play the Wolves were able to notch three runs in the third. Robling and Eryn Yancy each reached base safely with two out singles in the inning followed by a walked to Schultz. Covais stepped into the box and connected with a base clearing double to center, putting the Wolves ahead 3-1. NSU quickly added five more in the fourth with some insurance for starter Horkey. 

Macey Engel led off the fourth inning with a straight shot blast over the centerfield fence, her second home run of the season. Along with two Beaver miss cues in the inning, NSU was able to score off hits from Novak and Gale as well as two walks in the inning issued to Robling and Covais. 

An 8-4 game through five innings of play led the Wolves to three more runs in the sixth and seventh. Mirroring the game before, NSU recorded a hit from eight of the nine batters in the line up. Robling and Yancy each finished the game with three hits. Engel was a solid force for the Wolves and sure base runner as she reached base safely five times on the day in eight attempts. 

Northern now moves into their final week of conference play as they take on St. Cloud State, Southwest Minnesota State and University of Sioux Falls. First match-up of the week in scheduled at home for the Wolves versus the SCSU Huskies. Date and location of the game is still to be determined.