LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Minot State University fell behind early and couldn't make a comeback as No. 2 ranked Humboldt State topped the Beavers 6-1 in the finale of the 2017 Montana State-Billings Desert Stinger Sunday at Majestic Park.

The Beavers (1-4 overall) kept things close early, trailing just 1-0 after a first inning run by HSU. But MSU gave up two runs in the fourth and fifth innings and another single run in the sixth.

"We battled pretty well again today," said MSU head coach Bill Triplett. "(Jenn Spencer) got tougher and tougher each day and our offense set the table for big innings several times. We wanted more wins down here, but we showed we can become a good team so we are happy with that."

MSU tried to get back into the game, scoring a run in the top of the seventh as Tori Zimmermann drove in Jordan Grant, but MSU couldn't come up with another run. The Beavers had their chances as they worked five walks and finished with seven hits, but stranded 11 runners.

Isis Cabral and Grant both finished with two hits apiece, while Lauren Cowden, Ashley Hill and Zimmermann had one hit each. Cowden smacked a double for her hit.
Spencer suffered the loss, going 4 2/3 innings, giving up five hits and five runs with four strikeouts. She only allowed three earned runs as the Beavers had two errors in the game.

MSU is off now until Feb. 16 and 17 when they will play four games in two days at the Minot State Invite in Aberdeen, S.D. The games were originally scheduled for Minot, but was moved to Presentation College's indoor field. MSU plays Minnesota Crookston at 10 a.m. and Black Hills State at noon on Feb. 16.

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.