Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CROOKSTON, Minn. – Minot State University softball pounded out 26 hits in two games to sweep a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games against Minnesota Crookston Tuesday at the UMC Softball Field.

The Beavers (28-14 overall, 15-9 NSIC) took game 1 11-3 in five innings and topped UMC (3-30, 1-19) 8-1 in game 2 to win their fourth-straight game. The Beavers are in sixth place overall and have a slim game lead over rival University of Mary, while are a half game behind the University of Sioux Falls for fifth with two double headers remaining. Minot State plays host to Augustana College and Wayne State College Saturday and Sunday.

Minot State got things going early in game 1 as the Beavers scored six runs in the top of the second inning. The inning was highlighted by a grand slam by Stacy Fournier (Sr., 3B, Langley, British Columbia) to give the Beavers a 6-0 lead.

MISU was blanked for the next two innigns, but got back to hitting in the fifth as Melissa Bell (Jr., C, Belgrade, Mont.) hit a two-run home run and both Fournier and Katie Backes (Sr., UTL, Minot, N.D.) each drove in runs with doubles.

Although the Beavers allowed three runs in the fifth, the game was called due to the 8-run rule.

Alyssa Cornejo (Fr., P/2B, Riverside, Calif.) evened her record at 2-2 with four strong innings, allowing just three hits and no runs.

Fournier was 2-for-2 with five RBIs, while Bell went 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Minot State finished with five doubles and two home runs as a part of 11 hits in the game.

Game 2 was much of the same in the end, but the Beavers spread out the runs over seven innings, scoring one in the first and second innings and two in the third, fifth and seventh innings for the win.

Bell and Backes kept swinging hot bats as each smacked solo home runs – Bell's in the first and Backes' in the second. Jen Dixon (Sr., OF/P, Brandon, Manitoba) and Cornejo both drove in runs in the third and Cornejo and Ali Cygan (Jr., SS, Bozeman, Mont.) drove in runs in the fifth to push the Beavers to a 6-0 after five innings.

MISU starting pitcher Mindy Lorimor (Jr., Thurman, Iowa) cruised to her 20th win of the season with seven innings of six-hit ball.

The Beavers had three more doubles as Leyna Downey (Jr., 1B, Missoula, Mont.) got in the act with a double in game 2. Downey was 3-for-3 with a run scored, while Cornejo and Cygan had three hits and two RBIs apiece.

The weekend games are scheduled for South Hill Complex both days with game times set for 1/3 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m./1 p.m. Sunday.