Box Score ROCHESTER, Minn. – Minot State University softball staved off elimination by hitting the ball a long ways.

Melissa Bell (So., C, Belgrade, Mont.) hit two solo shots and Jen Dixon (Jr., OF/P, Brandon, Manitoba) added another solo home run as the Beavers eliminated Winona State 3-1 at the 2013 U.S. Bank / NSIC Softball Tournament Saturday at the Rochester Community and Technical College Dome.

The Beavers (38-8 overall) move on to the nightcap, another loser out game, taking on Augustana College. The Beavers and Vikings split a pair of games last week in the regular season finale and the two are ranked No. 6 and 7 respectively in the latest NCAA Division II Central Region Poll.

Bell set the tone early after being robbed of a home run by the roof in MISU's 2-1 loss to top seed Minnesota State in the winner's bracket earlier in the day. She hit a solo home run in the top of the first – the second batter of the game – giving starter Mandy Greenberg (Sr., P, Winnipeg, Manitoba) a cushion.

Greenberg and reliever Tiffany Friesen (Sr., P, Morden, Manitoba) stymied the Warriors' hitters to just two hits and one run. Greeberg, who improved to 23-4 on the season with the win, gave up a solo home run to Ashley Walker in the third. Friesen was lights out in relief earning her fourth save of the season with four scoreless innings with three Ks.

Katie Backes (Jr., UTL, Minot, N.D.) and Brittany Thorson (Fr., SS/P, El Paso, Texas) both finished with singles to join with Bell and Dixon for the Beavers five hits. Bell moved to within one home run of joining Dixon and Friesen in double figures in dingers with her eighth and ninth of the season. Dixon swatted her 12th of the year.

– GO BEAVERS –