Photo GalleryAberdeen, S.D. – Opening up the week with a two game sweep over Minot State, was the Northern State University softball team. The Wolves defeated Minot 3-1 in game one, before coming back with a bottom of the seventh 4-3 victory in game two. NSU improves to 20-15 on the year and 7-5 in Northern Sun Conference play.
Game One With one out in the bottom of the second inning,
Brittney Lash,
Katie Dawson and
Macey Engel hit back-to-back-to-back singles. Engel earned herself an RBI with her single to right center, scoring Lash who began the NSU rally. Minot State answered back with a run of their own in the third and the two teams were tie at one all.
The Wolves tacked on two more runs, sealing the victory, in the fourth off the bat of freshmen
Michaela Liebl. Liebl stepped to the plate, with
Macey Engel on first after a single to right, and belted out her first career homerun to right center. The bomb gave the Wolves the 3-1 lead, heading into the final innings of play.
Kami Smesmo threw a complete seven innings for the Wolves giving up one run on five hits. The senior struck out two in her 13
th win of the season. Engel led the team going a perfect 3-for-3 in the win. As a team the Wolves connected for nine hits and three runs scored.
Game Two The Beavers attacked early in game two, putting up three runs and four hits in the top of the first. Minot starter Alyssa Cornejo held the Wolves scoreless in the first three innings of play, before
Rachel Albright began the NSU comeback in the fourth.
Albright walked with one out in the inning, followed by
Macey Engel with a single up the middle. Both Albright and Engel came around the score in the inning off a
Katie Dawson single to right and
Eryn Yancy double to right center. The Wolves were within one heading into the fifth.
Missy Elkins sat down the Beavers, one-two-three in the top half of the fifth, to give the Wolves some much needed momentum.
Lauren Kunz the led off NSU's ups with a single up the middle.
Katelynn Dilts singled down the right field line two at-bats later, advancing Kunz to third. With runners on the corners, Northern executed the first and third situation moving Dilts to second and scoring Kunz off the throw down by the catcher. NSU however was unable to come away with the lead in the inning.
Heading into the bottom of the seventh, with the scoreboard tied at three all, Northern was in the heat of their lineup. Four hitter, Engel, connected for a one out single to right and the Wolves had feet on the base paths.
Ashley Clapp came into pinch run for Engel, and advanced to third with a
Brittney Lash double to center in the next at-bat. Minot State then intentionally walked
Katie Dawson to load the bases for senior
Eryn Yancy. With the outfield pulled in, Yancy drove a high fly ball over the right fielders head, scoring Clapp and sealing the victory for Northern.
Yancy went 3-for-4 in the game with a double and two RBI. Starter
Missy Elkins threw well earning her sixth win of the season, with four strikeouts in seven innings pitched.
Next up for the Wolves is a road weekend versus Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul. NSU will match-up with Mavericks at 2 and 4 p.m., Friday from Mankato. Northern will then face-off against the Golden Bears and 12 and 2 p.m., Saturday from St. Paul.
