Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WEST ST. PAUL. – Minot State University continued to play the top teams strong, but settled for a split of a pair of games in the finale of the Duluth Invitational played Monday at the WSP Athletic Center.

The Beavers were upended for the second day in a row by No. 17 Fort Hays State, falling 2-1 on Monday, before finishing off a 2-1, come-from-behind win over rival the University of Mary in nonconference action in the final game.

"At the level of competition we are playing, we have done a good job overall to start the season," said MISU head coach Bill Triplett. "Hays has a really good team and we battled them again today. All five of our losses are against ranked (or receiving votes) teams. It was tough in the manner of the way we lost yesterday and then to lose another one-run game, but if we had won the first and lost the second, we probably wouldn't think a split was good. It's all 'what have you done for me lately,' I guess."

In the tournament finale, the Beavers rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh inning to erase a 1-0 U-Mary lead. The Beavers got the first two on in the inning, bunted them over and got a key two-run single by Ali Cygan (Jr., SS, Bozeman, Mont.) to score both Melissa Bell (Jr., C, Belgrade, Mont.) and Darlene Truong (Jr., C, Escondido, Calif.).

"Ali came through for us and we were able to set them down in the bottom of the inning," Triplett said. "That was big for us to close out a game like that."

It was also big for starting pitcher Mindy Lorimor (Jr., Thurman, Iowa) who has had some tough-luck losses this year late in games. Against U-Mary, Lorimor worked around a fourth-inning Marauders' home run to pitch a gem. She gave up 11 hits, nearly scattering them all, and struck out seven to improve to 4-3 on the season. With 2 2/3 innings of relief in game 1, she worked 9 2/3 innings, giving up just one run and striking out eight batters.

"Today was really big for Mindy. Our defense has let her down at times this year and threw it around some behind her," Triplett said. "We have some new kids playing and some kids playing where they are not normally going to be because of injuries, but overall we have responded."

Against Fort Hays State, Minot State fell behind 2-0 as FHSU put up funs in the top of the second and fourth. But the Beavers battled back with a solo home run by Alyssa Cornejo (Sr., P/2B, Riverside, Calif.) in the bottom of the fourth and had chances to tie the game up after, but were limited to just four total hits.

Minot State is scheduled to play at Montana State-Billings, but reports out of Billings, Mont., make that trip questionable due to weather. The Beavers are looking for other options, but may have to wait until their annual spring break trip to Florida to get back on the diamond.