Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Fla. – Minot State University continued to roll in Florida, thanks in part to two late game rallies.

The Beavers scored five runs in the sixth inning to break free from Saint Thomas Aquinas College in game 1 and then exploded for seven in the fifth to crush Queens College 10-1 (5) in game 2.

The pair of wins keeps Minot State perfect over six games at the National Training Center Tournament in NCAA Division II softball Wednesday at the NTC Fields.

“The best thing for us today is we got hitting from a bunch of different players,” said MISU head coach Bill Triplett. “We had some other players get key hits and string some hits together. Plus, we have been able to get big extra base hits – like triples – and that is such a lift because there are so many ways to score from third.”

In the first game against Saint Thomas Aquinas College, Minot State (14-1 overall, 0-0 NSIC) started slowly after playing late Tuesday due to rain delays. STAC (3-4 overall) took a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI single by Samantha McDonald.

Minot State then woke up with an RBI single by Carmen Vargas (Sr., C, Cathedral City, Calif.), plating Katie Backes (Jr., UTL, Minot, N.D.).

But it was the sixth where the bats came alive. Backes, who went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, led off the sixth with a triple and scored on Ali Cygan's (So., SS, Bozeman, Mont.) single. Tiffany Friesen (Sr., P/3B, Morden, Manitoba) knocked in two after a walk and Taylor Studler (So., 1B, Grosse Isle, Manitoba) finished things off with another run-scoring single.

“Katie was really good for us today,” Triplett said. “She batted leadoff in the second game as a reward for how she has played. She got a couple extra base hits and stole a couple bases. The fences are 220 here and if she, or Ali or Jen (Jen Dixon, Jr., OF/P, Brandon, Manitoba) hit one to the gap, they are off to the races.”

Friesen gave up just the lone third-inning run for the win, running her record to 5-1 on the season. She gave up three hits, while striking out seven in the complete game.
Minot State jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning against Queens College (0-1 overall) in game 2, but it was only 3-1 entering the fifth. But the Beavers smacked four hits and worked two base on balls in the inning to score seven to end the game.

Again the extra base hit proved to be the difference. Brittany Thorson (Fr., SS/P, El Paso, Texas) plated three with a double and Cygan swatted her team-leading fourth triple scoring two in the inning.

“Brittany has been hobbled by a knee injury, but she has been coming around,” Triplett said. “She got two hits and had a big double late in the game. We had a few girls who seem to be coming around.”

Beavers' starter Mandy Greenberg (Sr., P, Winnipeg, Manitoba) gave up her first run of the season, but only allowed four hits, while striking out eight in five innings. She has a 0.17 ERA and is 7-0 on the season.

Corinne Gautron (Sr., C, Winnipeg, Manitoba) went 2-for-2 and Friesen added another RBI to her total in the win.

Minot State will take Thursday off before battling four teams over the final two days of the trip Friday and Saturday.