MINOT, N.D. -- The Minot State University softball team came out swinging the bats early and often against rivals UMary leading to 21 runs in two games and a sweep to open the 2021 Air-Supported Dome Invitational by the scored of 10-5 and 11-0 on Friday night at home.
Minot State softball has won three consecutive games since dropping its second game of the PC Dome Classic at Presentation College last week. After combining for just nine runs in the first three games, MSU has lit the ball on fire in its last three games scoring 35 runs during that time leading to consecutive wins.
Game 1: 10-5 W over UMary
Starting pitcher
Zoya Robbins worked three-up and three-down in the top of the 1st inning to open Game 1 against the Marauders. Her offense responded in support with one run in the home-half of the first and four more runs in the bottom of the second inning.
Kiera Shwaluk reached on an infield single to lead off the game but was retired at third on a steal attempt.
Julia Suchan drove a single up the middle to score
Maggie Mercer giving the Beavers a 1-0 lead through one inning.
UMary had its best offensive inning of the day in the top of the 2nd as the Marauders struck for four runs on four hits. The offensive push was capped by a double to left field from Alissa Alvarado scoring both Eryn de Jonge and Levi Luna to give the visitors a 4-1 lead going to the bottom of the fourth.
That's as large as the lead would get for the Marauders as the Beavers rallied in the bottom of the second for four runs to tie the game. MSU fell behind 5-4 in the top of the third but scored five runs combined in the fourth and fifth inning to grab a 10-5 win.
Roxanne Ines (W, 1-0) earned the win with 3.0 innings of relief allowing one run on four hits with one strikeout. Robbins came back in for the final inning to close out the five-run win.
Jamie Odlum, Suchan, and Mercer all had multi-hit games. Suchan and Odlum drove in three runs apiece and the Beavers struck for 12 hits and 10 runs in the win to improve to 4-1.
Game 2: 11-0 W over UMary
MSU continued all of the offensive momenta that it had in Game 1 of the doubleheader and took that into the first inning of Game 2. The Beavers scored seven runs on seven hits in the opening frame as the designated visiting team in the second game of the day.
Lenora Watson drove one run with an infield single to score Suchan.
Alina Gonzalez singled to left to drive in two of those runs as Watson and
Isis Cabral scored. Starting pitcher Brooke Harder did not make it out of the first inning of Game 2 as she was pulled for Isabella Saint Hilaire with two outs in the inning.
Jazmin Karunungan singled to left field to cause the pitching change and then stole second base and scored on a double to center by Odlum.
The Beavers coasted from the first inning on and did not allow a hit until the bottom of the fifth inning, a leadoff double to right field by Haley Berube.
MSU wins its third straight game with an 11-0 final and sweeps its rival to open the Air-Supported Dome Invitational.
Mercer finished 3-for-4 with one run scored, two doubles, and two RBI. Suchan drove in two runs with her 1-for-3 performance and Gonzalez brought in three runs during her 3-for-3 game.
Trinity Valentine (W, 2-1) earned the win with 2.0 scoreless innings, surrendering one walk while striking out four batters.
The Beavers are back in action tomorrow at 10 a.m. against Northern State from the Air-Supported Dome as a full-day worth of action takes place between NSIC foes in Minot, N.D.
