MINOT, N.D. – The Minot State softball team wraps up its regular season a few days earlier than planned this weekend, playing key NSIC contests on the road.
The Beavers (21-15 overall, 17-7 NSIC) battle Minnesota Duluth (35-14, 16-8) in a doubleheader starting at noon on Thursday, then take on St. Cloud State (27-23, 10-14) on Friday morning at 9 a.m. in another twinbill, this one on the College of Saint Benedict campus as both doubleheaders were moved ahead two days because of the threat of bad weather.
With a berth in the NSIC Tournament held May 1-4 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota already wrapped up, Minot State now is a chasing a spot in the top six in the conference which would earn the Beavers a spot in the quarterfinals of the single-elimination tournament, avoiding one of the first-round games on May 1.
To get that done, the Beavers must get past a tough Bulldogs team on Thursday as Minnesota Duluth is No. 2 in the NSIC in pitching with a 2.02 ERA and No. 6 offensively with a .295 batting average. Minnesota Duluth averages 5.2 runs per game.
That's just a bit better than the Beavers, statistically, as Minot State has the fourth-best ERA in the league at 2.81 and is seventh in hitting averaging .284 and 4.4 runs per game.
The Bulldogs are led by powerhouse pitcher Lauren Dixon who was named the NSIC Pitcher of the Year last spring and has a 1.15 ERA, which is second best in the league, a 19-5 record, and has struck out an NSIC-high 201 batters.
Backing her up is Maddy Walsh who is sixth in the NSIC with a 2.10 ERA and an 8-1 record.
But the Beaver pitchers also have been stellar led by
Gabi Dawyduk who is No. 5 in the NSIC with her 2.02 ERA, along with a 9-6 record.
And Minot State also has some potent offensive weapons, as well, as
Brooklyn Morrison is sixth in the league in batting average hitting .392 with 2 home runs and 13 RBIs, while
Anna LaCount is 10
th in the league with her .382 average and 19 RBIs.
But Minnesota Duluth has always been a challenging foe as the Bulldogs have won 11 of the last 12 meetings between the teams, including three consecutive shutout wins.
Friday, the Beavers battle a St. Cloud State team that is hitting .271, which is No. 10 in the NSIC, averages 4.5 runs per game, and is No. 7 in pitching ERA at 3.51.
Reese Holzheuter leads the St. Cloud State offense as she is hitting .376, which is 12th-best in the league, and she also has 8 home runs and 27 RBIs.
Justyce Porter has been the top pitcher for the Huskies coming out of the bullpen to record an NSIC-best 12 saves. She has a 2.33 ERA, which ranks No. 8 in the league, along with a 10-5 record, but has just six starts.
Minot State won the last meeting between the two teams, 3-1 in "The Bubble" last spring, snapping a seven-game St. Cloud State win streak in the series.
