Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLERMONT, Fla. – Minot State University earned two hard-fought wins to out its annual spring trip to Florida, holding off Stonehill College 5-3 and outlasting Tiffin University 3-2 (8) in nonconference NCAA Division II softball at the National Training Center Tournament at the NTC Softball Complex Friday.

The win over Stonehill College in game 1 was the team's 200 th win over the past seven season, giving head coach Bill Triplett his 200th career win with the Beavers. With the pair of wins, he is 201-84 in seven seasons as head coach.

While the two wins were achieved in different fashion, the key ingredient was pitching. Jen Dixon (Jr., OF/P, Brandon, Manitoba) went seven strong innings to earn the win in game 1. She cruised until the sixth, where she gave up three runs, but only allowed five hits in the game for her second win of the season.

In the second game, Mindy Lorimor (Jr., P, Thurman, Iowa) went the distance, giving up just two runs – one earned – while striking out five. She allowed an unearned run in the seventh to send it into extra innings, but the Beavers plated the winning run to send her to her fifth win of the season.

"We were pretty good today for the most part," said MISU head coach Bill Triplett. "We didn't make a few plays defensively that cost us, but we battled through them to get the wins. Dixon and Lorimor both pitched very well for us and gave us a chance to win."

Dixon also got the bat going against Stonehill, collecting two hits and scoring a run. Jordan Grant (Fr., CF, Adelnato, Calif.) finished with three hits and two stolen bases and Stacey Fournier (Sr., 3B, Langley, British Columbia) returned to the lineup from an injury to drive in two.

"Anytime you get two wins it's a great day but it was also good to get our third baseman Stacy Fournier back today," Triplett said. "She had a great day defensively and hit three balls very hard."
Rachel Burdette (Fr., P/UTL, Temecula, Calif.) and Melissa Bell (Jr., C, Belgrade, Mont.) each knocked in a run in the win.

Against Tiffin, the Beavers bounced back from an unearned run in the seventh to get an unearned run in the eighth for the win. Katie Backes (Sr., UTL, Minot, N.D.) scored the game winner off an errant throw by the Dragons to secure the win.

Bell continued to swing a hot bat with three hits and scored a run, while Ali Cygan (Jr., SS, Bozeman, Mont.) drove in a run. Burdette also finished with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 in the game.

The Beavers will be back to work with a pair of nonconference games Saturday, taking on NCAA Division II teams Assumption College and Ursuline College.