LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Minot State University rallied for seven runs in the top of the seventh inning to top Asuza Pacific 13-11 to earn a split of two games on day 2 at the 2016 Montana State-Billings Desert Stinger Saturday at Majestic Park.

MSU, as head coach Bill Triplett put it, didn't have two big rallies in them as they gave up nine in the sixth in game 2 to fall to Concordia, Ore.

"That was a huge comeback in game 1," Triplett said. "We never gave up and kept battling and battling. We just couldn't put two comebacks like that together in one day."

The Beavers (2-2 overall) trailed Asuza 10-3 after the fourth inning, but started to peck away at the lead with three runs in the fifth. After APU scored in the sixth, MSU was down to its final inning. The Beavers sent 12 batters to the dish in the inning and scored seven runs including five after two outs. Sarah Nicks (Jr., C, Grossmont, Calif.) had two singles in the inning and drove in a run, while Kyla Larson (So., OF, Wahiawa, Hawaii) and Jordan Grant (Jr., CF, Adelanto, Calif.) each drove in two runs in the inning.

"We had to use four pitchers to get through it, but it was one that we will always remember," Triplett said.

Clarissa Ramirez (Jr. P/UTL, Tucson, Ariz.) pitched 1 1/3 innings of relief to earn the win and Alyssa Cornejo (Jr., P/UTL, Riverside, Calif.) fired a clean slate in the seventh to record the save.

"I only let Cornejo pitch one inning today, but she slammed the door in the last inning," added Triplett.

Cornejo also had a day at the plate, going 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. She stroked her first home run of the season. Ashley Hill (So., 1B, Mesa, Ariz.) also smacked a home run and had two RBIs, while Rachel Burdette was 4 for 5 at the plate with two RBIs and three runs scored.

Against Concordia, the game was shaping up as a pitcher's duel as Jenn Spencer (Jr., P/1B, Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Ramirez had combined for just three runs allowed and the Beavers cut an early CU lead to just 3-2 with two runs in the fifth.

But Concordia scored nine in the sixth as Ramirez and Sydney Prigge (So., P/OF, Tacoma, Wash.) weren't able to shut them down. Ramirez was saddled with the loss.

Grant, Burdette and Lauren Cowden (Fr., UTL, Moorpark, Calif.) all finished with two hits and Burdette and Hill drove in runs in the fifth for the Beavers.

Minot State will finish off this season's Desert Stinger with a single game against Nebraska-Kearney looking to earn a winning record at the tournament for the third time in the past four trips.

"We feel if we can win tomorrow, we will have a decent trip to start the season," said Triplett.

About Minot State
Minot State University is a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) and NCAA Division II offering 14 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletics programs. The NSIC is a premier NCAA DII, 16-member conference featuring teams in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. The Beavers are the only public NCAA Division II institution in the state of North Dakota.