Sioux Falls, S.D. – The Northern State University softball defeated Minnesota Duluth, 3-2, in a decisive losers bracket game from the NSIC/US Bank Softball Tournament. The Wolves opened the day with a 0-4 loss versus Wayne State. After the day split, Northern moves to 33-21 on the year and recorded their first NSIC Conference Tournament win since moving to the eight/ten team tournaments.
 
Game One
 
The NSU offense was unable to figure out WSC starter Kelcie Bormann in game one, tallying only five team hits. Those five hits came off the bats of Kelsey Gale, Kalie Maiden, Eryn Yancy, Rachel Albright, and Michaela Liebl.
 
Kami Smesmo suffered her 11^th loss of the season giving up seven hits and three earned runs. The Northern defense hit some bumps, with three errors in the game. Smesmo added five strikeouts in seven innings of work.
 
Northern had a game break, before facing off against Minnesota Duluth who swept the Wolves in the final mid-week games of the season.
 
Game Two
 
The Wolves fell behind early in the top of the first but were determined to come back for the win. Michaela Liebl led off the third for the Wolves with a single to right. Lauren Kunz executed a sacrifice bunt in the next at-bat, however the Bulldogs were unable to execute defensively and the Wolves were left with two runners on and no outs. Kelsey Gale singled to right scoring Liebl to tie that game at one all. Singles to right were the story of the inning for NSU, as Eryn Yancy tallied her own scoring Kunz on the play. Gale scored the final run of the inning off Macey Engel's ground-out to the second basemen, and the Wolves were up 3-1.
 
Sophomore starter Missy Elkins held Duluth scoreless through the middle innings of play, giving up only two hits and one walk. In the top of the sixth the Bulldogs threatened with one out and clean-up hitter Jordan Rice at the plate. Rice connected for a long ball to right center, and brought the score within one. Elkins re-grouped and put the final five Bulldog batters down in order. Missy earned her 12^th win of the season giving up two runs on four hits and striking out two.
 
Kelsey Gale, Michaela Liebl, and Lauren Kunz tallied two hits apiece in the win. The Wolves move on in the losers bracket to take on Southwest Minnesota State tomorrow at 10 a.m. from Sherman Park. The Mustangs defeated Minnesota Duluth in the second play-in game of the day. SMSU then went on to fall to Augustana College.