Maryville, Mo. – The Northern State University softball team dropped a pair of regional games on Sunday to Northwest Missouri State, 6-0, and Central Missouri, 4-3. The Wolves move to 10-10 overall heading into the final weekend of non-conference play.
 
NSU was unable to break through against Northwest Missouri State, and starter Rachel Smith in game one being held scoreless. As a team, the Wolves tallied four hits from Courtney Sjerven, Jenna Helgeson, Katie Dawson, and Natalie Gabbert.
 
Makenzie Merritt suffered the loss on the hill, throwing six complete innings. The freshman struck out two and gave up six earned runs on eight hits, with one walk.
 
The Wolves started hot in the second game, notching on run off the bat of Kennady Thompson in the top of the first. The sophomore plated Helgeson who had single through the right side to reach base. Central Missouri quickly answered back with three runs in the bottom half of the frame and one in the bottom of the fifth, however the Wolves were not finished.
 
Thompson kicked off the NSU rally in the sixth with a walk, and came around to score on a 2-out, pinch hit homerun by sophomore Kaitlyn King. The long ball is the first of the season for the Rapid City native, and second of her Northern State career. NSU however was unable to push across the game tying run, and fell to the Jennies.
 
King tallied the lone extra base hit in the loss, while Helgeson, Thompson, Katie Uittenbogaard, and Madison Rutter each notched a single. Jamie Fisher suffered her fifth loss of the season throwing six complete innings and giving up three earned runs on eight hits. The junior struck out three and walked five in her 14^th appearance of the season.
 
The Wolves return to action next weekend at Minot State with a doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m. against the Beavers on Saturday.