Box Score HAYS, Kan. – Minot State University's first ever NCAA Division II Central Regional game in school history boiled down to one big hit.

No. 19 ranked Central Oklahoma got it. Minot State did not.

The Bronchos Sam Cool plated two with a two-out double in the bottom of the sixth and Kalynn Schrock made it stand up by stranding seven MISU runners in a 2-0 win Friday at Fort Hays State's Tiger Stadium.

“We didn't wake our bats up and that's a credit to (Schrock),” said MISU head coach Bill Triplett. “We have played some big games and seen some big pitchers, so I thought we were ready. It came down to one big hit… and they got it.”

The lost sends the Beavers into a loser out game Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against the loser of game 2 featuring top seed Fort Hays State and No. 8 seed Emporia State.

Minot State (40-10 overall) starting pitcher Mandy Greenberg (Sr., Winnipeg, Manitoba) loaded the bases in the first inning and worked her way out of the no-out jam with a pair of strikeouts. She cruised from there until the sixth.

Kaylee Brunson led off the sixth with a single and stole second. After the Beavers intentionally walked Kacie Edwards, Greenberg got a pair of flyouts, but Edwards moved up on the second flyout and pinch runner Hanna Justus stole second during Cool's at bat. Cool laced a two-strike, two-out double down the leftfield line to score two. It was just the fifth hit surrendered by Greenberg.

The Beavers left the bases loaded in the second and left two on in the sixth and seventh innings. In the seventh, Stacy Fournier (Jr., 3B, Langley, British Columbia) walked and Brittany Thorson (Fr., SS/P, El Paso, Texas) singled – her second of the game – with no outs. But Schrock got an out when MISU sacrificed both runners up and then induced a pair of short pop ups to short to end the game.

“We have been playing in big games and I think we were ready for this one,” said Thorson playing in her first NCAA postseason game. “I didn't think we approached it any differently, we came out just like any other game.”

“Big pitchers usually rise up to the occasion and their kid (Schrock) did that,” said Triplett. “We got the runners on late, but couldn't get them across.”

Along with Thorson, Ali Cygan (So., SS, Bozeman, Mont.) and Tiffany Friesen (Sr., 3B/P, Morden, Manitoba) each finished with singles. Brunson was the only player for UCO (43-11) to finish with multiple hits.

Greenberg suffered just her fifth loss of the season (24-5) by giving up just two runs and five hits, while striking out four. Schrock improved to 26-6 overall with a four hitter, striking out seven.

Minot State will look to end a two-game losing streak dating back to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship game last week.
“I think we are ready for tomorrow right now,” said MISU catcher Corinne Gautron (Sr., Winnipeg, Manitoba) in a postgame press conference.