ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Minot State University had two chances to finish off St. Cloud State, but came up empty as the Huskies rallied twice to sweep a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference double header Saturday at the Husky Dome.

MSU led 6-1 in game 1, but SCSU rallied for two in the fourth, one in the fifth and two more in the seventh to force extra innings and earned a walk-off win with one in the bottom of the ninth, taking game 1 7-6. In game 2, Minot State grabbed an early 1-0 lead that stood until the fifth where SCSU scored twice for a 2-1 win.

"Today was really disheartening," said MSU head coach Bill Triplett. "This team hates losing and they are together as a team. We will get better."

MSU (9-8 overall, 1-3 NSIC) scored four runs in the top of the first and added single runs in the second and fourth innings to build a lead. SCSU (18-12, 2-2) battled all the way back and forced extra innings as Alyssa Coletto hit a two-run home run that Minot State got a glove on but couldn't secure in the bottom of the seventh.

"It was a tough loss," Triplett said. "We had a 6-1 lead, led 6-4 going into the seventh and we had the bases loaded in the eighth with no one on and didn't score. It was tough."

Clarissa Ramirez suffered the loss as she relieved Jenn Spencer in the ninth, giving up three hits and one run. Spencer pitched eight innings, giving up six runs on 10 hits with six walks and two strikeouts.

Jordan Grant was a perfect 3 for 3 with two stolen bases and three runs scored for MSU. Ashley Hill and Lauren Cowden both finished with two hits. Hill, Ramirez, Rachel Burdette and Tori Zimmermann all drove in one run apiece.

Ramirez was the tough-luck loser in game 2, pitching a great second game, but fell to 3-5 after giving up seven hits and two runs in six innings of work. She didn't allow an earned run in the game. She outdueled by SCSU's Kate Kopeck who gave up just a single run in the first inning and six hits overall to improve to 9-5.

"Clarissa threw really well today as did Spencer," Triplett said. "We just didn't get it done."

Six different MSU players finished with a single hit. Zimmermann drove in Cowden in the first for the Beavers only run. Skyla Neubauer went 1 for 3 with a double and Grant finished 1 for 3 with a stolen base in the loss for MSU.

The Beavers will look to rebound Sunday as they travel to Minnesota Duluth for a pair of NSIC games.

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.