WEST ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minot State University starters Alyssa Cornejo (So., P/UTL, Riverside, Calif.) and Mindy Lorimor (Sr., P, Thurman, Iowa) combined to give up just two runs while striking out 21 opposition batters as the Beavers swept a pair of  games to start the West St. Paul Dome Tournament Wednesday.

Cornejo outdueled Minnesota Crookston's Bailey Braatz in a 3-1 MSU win over the Golden Eagles in the first game and Lorimor was aided by a big grand slam in a seven-run fifth inning for a 9-1 win over Minnesota State University Moorhead in game 2.

The tournament featured four Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference teams playing nonconference games. The Beavers and Golden Eagles take to the field one more time Thursday and MSU also plays Bemidji State Thursday.

In game 1, Minot State (5-2 overall) rode Cornejo's pitching as she was brilliant earning her first win of the season. She gave up a fourth inning unearned run and just three hits overall. She didn't walk a batter and struck out a career high.

"Peanut (Cornejo) really threw well today," said MSU head coach Bill Triplett. "In all it was a good day. It really helps when you hit the long ball because it gives you instant offense and it relaxes your pitchers."

The Beavers got on the board right away in the first with a solo home run by Melissa Bell (Sr., UTL, Belgrade, Mont.), but it remained 1-0 until the unearned run knotted the game at one in the fourth. In the fifth, however, Minot State got a big bases loaded RBI walk by Ali Cygan (Sr., SS, Bozeman, Mont.) and scored an insurance run as Ashley Hill (Fr., 1B, Mesa, Ariz.) drove in a run with a fielder's choice. MSU loaded the bases with singles by Leyna Downey (Sr., OF, Missoula, Mont.), Jordan Grant (So., CF, Adelnato, Calif.) and Bell.

Cornejo didn't need more than one however as she struck out four batters over the final two innings.

Bell and Downey finished with two hits apiece and Bell, Cygan and Hill all finished with RBIs in the win for the Beavers.

In game 2, Lorimor's only mistake a MSUM home run in the fourth by Taylor Huss to tie the game at 1. She finished with a complete-game four-hitter, while not walking a batter in six innings of work.

"Mindy did her job as well," Triplett said. "She was solid for us. Downey and Burdette (Rachel Burdette, So., UTL, Temecula, Calif.) continue to hit the ball well for us."

The game remained that way until a huge seven-run fifth that got started by Downey as she singled in the eventual game winner with RBI hit scoring Cygan. A batter later, Sarah Nicks (So., C, Grossmont, Calif.) ended any drama in the late innings as she hit a grand slam to right center.
 
Burdette, who hit a solo home run in her first at bat, went 2 for 3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Downey, Nicks and Grant all finished with two hits as well with Nicks collecting the four RBIs.

MSU's day begins at 9 a.m. with BSU and finishes the tournament at 11 a.m. with UMC.