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Aberdeen, SD – In the final games of the regular season, Northern State softball earned a split against Southwest Minnesota State to close the season with a (16-28) overall record and (9-19) in conference play. The Wolves fell to the Mustangs (0-5) in the first game but bounced back in game two to take a (9-1) victory in six innings.
 
Game One

Both teams were scoreless until the Mustangs broke through for four runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Wolves answered back in the bottom of the fifth with a pair of two-out hits by Kelsey Gale and Kalie Maiden but were unable to score the runners.
 
Southwest put an additional run on the board in the top of the seventh inning to extend their lead to 5-0. In the bottom of the seventh, Katelynn Dilts drew a two-out walk to extend the inning. The Mustangs were able to get out of the inning to secure the win. 
 
Kami Smesmo took the loss for the Wolves, allowing just three earned runs on seven hits. Offensively, Northern State was lead by Macey Engel and Kalie Maiden with two hits a piece.
 
Game Two

The Wolves bats came alive in the second game as eight Northern State hitters tallied at least one hit in the game. Northern connected for 15 hits in six innings of work.
 
Kelsey Gale put pressure on the Mustang defense with a leadoff double down the right field line to start the game. A sacrifice bunt by Kalie Maiden moved Gale to third base, bringing Lindsey Hubler to the plate. Hubler connected for a single to left center to score Gale and give the Wolves and early 1-0 lead.
 
The Wolves added two runs to their lead in the second inning with a triple by Gale and an infield single by Maiden. Southwest answered back in the bottom of the second inning, scoring one run to cut the Wolves' lead to 3-1.
 
Ashley Clapp started the bottom of the fourth inning with a single down the right field line. Dilts dropped a bunt down for an infield single to put runners on first and second base. With two outs, Maiden reached on an error by the short stop to bring Hubler to the plate. She recorded her second hit of the game with a double to left center, scoring Maiden. Macey Engel kept the inning alive with a single to right field, scoring Hubler. Rachel Alrbright collected an RBI with a single to left field, bringing the Wolves lead to 8-1.
 
Both teams were unable to score in the fifth inning, but the Wolves broke through in the sixth with singles by Maiden, Hubler and Engel to start the inning. Eryn Yancy ended the game with a walk-off single to make the score 9-1.

Missy Elkins moved to (6-9) with the mercy rule win. Senior Lindsey Hubler ended her career with the Wolves by going 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI's. Yancy also went 3-for-4, while Gale, Maiden and Engel all collected two hits.