Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Minot State University's bats finally woke up.

The Beavers broke out for four runs behind two big hits from Tiffany Friesen (Sr., P/3B, Mordan, Manitoba) and Jen Dixon (Jr., OF/P,  Brandon, Manitoba) in the sixth inning of game 1 and took off from there.

The four runs helped the Beavers rally from a 1-0 deficit and propelled MISU to a sweep of two games over Minnesota State Moorhead 4-1 and 9-1 (5) in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference softball Thursday at the Husky Dome at St. Cloud State.

The Beavers (28-5 overall, 10-4 NSIC) were stymied for four innings by MSU-M starter Morgan Nybo in game 1. But MISU broke out for 13 runs in their final four innings to snap a season-high three-game losing streak.

“Yeah, it took us a while to shake the rust off,” said MISU head coach Bill Triplett. “She (Nybo) pitched well and we haven't seen live pitching for quite a while. I liked how we responded from the first four innings. We got some offense going and it started to role.”

Friesen was a big part of that as she stroked a three-run home run in game 1 in the bottom of the fifth and then put MISU up 2-0 in the bottom of the first in game 2.

“Tiffany has really hit the ball hard consistently all year,” Triplett said. “She has come up with a bunch of key hits and when she get a hold of it, she can hit it a long ways. She must like hitting here in the Husky Dome because that's like her fourth or fifth home run here.”

In game 1, Friesen's dinger came after Dixon doubled home Corinne Gautron (Sr., C, Winnipeg, Manitoba) after Gautron started the inning off with a solid single down the right field line.

“Jen got into one that I think kind of sparked us overall,” said Triplett. “Give Corinne credit as well getting on in front of her. We need to have base runners for those middle hitters.”

While Beavers struggled a little to get going on offense in the first game, starting pitcher Mandy Greenberg (Sr., Winnipeg, Manitoba) came out firing. She struck out seven consecutive batters between the first and third innings and ended the game with 13 total Ks. She made one mistake, a solo home run by Brittany York in the top of the fourth – allowing just the one hit in the complete game.

Katie Backes (Jr., UTL, Minot, N.D.) finished with two hits and Ali Cygan (So., SS, Bozeman, Mont.) and Stacy Fournier (Jr., INF, Langley, British Columbia) each finished with a hit for MISU.

In game 2, the Beavers wasted little time getting to the Dragons' (2-31, 0-18) pitching staff. Minot State scored two in the first on Friesen's homer and tacked on seven more in the second. Melissa Bell (So., OF, Belgrade, Mont.) smacked her fourth HR of the season, while Dixon, Backes, Fournier, Brittany Thorson (Fr., SS/P, El Paso, Texas) all had doubles to break open the game. Cygan went 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI out of the leadoff spot and Dixon and Backes each finished with two hits in the game.

Friesen was solid in the circle, giving up just a solo home run to Taylor Huss in the top of the second, to earn her 11th win. She allowed three hits and one run while striking out six. Dixon pitched two innings in relief.

Minot State stays in St. Cloud to take on SCSU Saturday and Minnesota Duluth Sunday in NSIC action all at the Husky Dome.

– GO BEAVERS –