MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University softball's bats continued to shine, but the Beavers couldn't lock down game 2 as MSU split a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference double header with Southwest Minnesota State Saturday at Herb Parker Stadium.

MSU (17-14 overall, 9-9 NSIC) hammered out 23 hits and 21 runs in the double header, rolling to a 14-5 win in game 1, but gave up four runs in each of the third and fifth innings to fall 9-7 in game 2.

"Our offense was good all weekend, the whole four-game swing," said MSU head coach Bill Triplett. "We were one pitch away from sweeping the weekend. We're disappointed, but we talked after the game, if we are disappointed and we went 3-1, that's a good thing. I think we are coming together as a team."

In game 1, the Beavers jumped out to a 5-0 lead after one inning and increased that to 11-0 after a six-run second. MSU finished with five extra base hits including Jordan Branch's fifth home run of the season.

MSU scored in each inning as eight players recorded at least one hit and five Beavers finished with multi-hit games. Jordan Grant, Lauren Cowden, Ashley Hill and Clarissa Ramirez joined Branch with two hits apiece.

The Beavers 6-7-8 hitters Skyla Neubauer, Branch and Ramirez went 5 for 9 with nine runs batted in and five runs scored. Neubauer finished with a double and drove in three, Ramirez drove in two and Branch plated four in the win.

Jenn Spencer went three innings, giving up a run on three hits to earn the win and improve to 9-7.

In game 2, it looked like Minot State was off to the races once again, scoring four in the first and another in the second to take a 5-1 lead after two innings.

SMSU (17-17, 8-10) tied the game in the third and after MSU scored a single run in the fourth, plated four more on one swing. No. 9 hitter Taylor Koloc hit a grand slam down the left field line that MSU's Isis Cabral nearly make a spectacular catch, crashing into the fence. But, the ball was just out of reach, glancing off Cabral's mitt for the home run.

"We would like to have that one pitch back, but you can't fault the team, we played hard, we hit the ball and ran the bases," Triplett said. "I'm pretty happy with how we played overall all weekend."

The Beavers got a single run in the seventh as Rachel Burdette drove home Ramirez, but MSU couldn't get another across. Minot State had the bases loaded with one out in the inning, but stranded two. In the game, MSU stranded 12 runners.

"We had the tying run on in the sixth and the seventh and never game up," said Triplett. "I like how we battled."

Spencer pitched four innings, giving up seven hits and seven runs to suffer the loss, falling to 9-8. Shelby Crank gave up eight hits and five runs, but earned the win for SMSU. Alex O'Connor worked three innings in relief for her fifth save of the season.

Grant, Neubauer and Branch all finished with two hits apiece with Grant scoring three runs and stealing three bases. She is a perfect 29 for 29 in stolen bases this season. Hill went 1 for 3 and drove in three runs for MSU.

The Beavers finish off an eight-game homestand with a midweek double header with Bemidji State Tuesday afternoon at Herb Parker Stadium. First pitch of game 1 is slated for 2 p.m.

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.