MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragon softball team returns to Nemzek Field for double-headers against the Wayne State College Wildcats at 1 and 3 p.m. on April 14 and the Vikings of Augustana College (S.D.) on April 15 at 12 and 2 p.m.
DRAGONS
The Dragons (8-25, 4-14 NSIC) moved to the No. 12 spot in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference after sweeping the University of Minnesota, Crookston Golden Eagles on April 11.
In game one of the double-header against the Golden Eagles, the Dragons jumped out to an early lead, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Paige Smith and AJ Hoefer scored the first two runs of the game after Amanda Moore shot a two-run double to center field. Catcher Brittany York scored Moore in the next at bat with another double for the Dragons. Taylor Huss rounded out the big inning for the Dragons with a two-run home run.
The Dragons scored two runs in the second inning on RBI singles from Sam Adolph and Huss. In the third inning Hoefer singled, scoring Smith, giving the Dragons an 8-0 lead. The Dragons tacked on five more runs in the fourth inning to take the victory, 13-0 in five innings. Miranda Bronson, Hoefer, Moore, York and Huss all contributed RBI's in the bottom of the fourth inning.
In game two the Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after Smith scored on a passed ball. The Golden Eagles tied the game, 1-1, in the top of the third inning and took a two-run lead in the top of the fourth. The Dragons responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning on a two-run home run by Moore. Both teams scored one run apiece in the fourth inning to tie things up, 5-5.
The Golden Eagles took a one-run lead in the fifth inning after the team rallied for four hits. The Dragons were scoreless in the fifth and sixth. But in the bottom of the seventh inning, Bronson and Hoefer posted RBI singles to give the Dragons the walk-off victory, 6-5.
WILDCATS
The Wayne State Wildcats (22-19, 8-11 NSIC) are coming off a win after splitting a double-header with the Upper Iowa University Peacocks on April 11.
The Peacocks defeated the Wildcats in game one, 1-0, but the Wildcats came back to win game two, 6-4. The Peacocks totaled three more hits than the Wildcats in game two but UIU left nine runners on base compared to Wayne State's three runners left of base.
Upper Iowa took the early lead, scoring run one in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings, making the score 4-1. But Wayne took back the lead in the fifth inning off a RBI sac fly, an RBI single and a two-RBI double. The Wildcats scored one more run in the sixth inning to win the game by two, 6-4.
VIKINGS
Augustana College (38-7, 15-3 NSIC) is the No. 2 team in the NSIC and No. 21 in the nation. The Vikings are on a three-game win streak and most recently swept the Winona State Warriors on April 11.
In game one Augustana scored the only run of the game in the top of the first inning. Third baseman Lindsey Spanton had an RBI single to left field. The Vikings took game one, 1-0.
In game two the Vikings were victorious, 2-1. Augustana opened the game early again, scoring a run in the top of the first inning off a single up the middle and a run in the second inning on a single to left field.
The Vikings held the 2-0 lead until the bottom of the seventh when the Wildcats threatened the lead by scoring one run off a double to left field. Chelsey Durland pitched her way out of the seventh inning forcing the Warriors to leave a runner on base.
The Match Up
During the 2010-2011 season the Dragons met with the Wildcats once. On April 22, 2011 the Wildcats swept the Dragons, 12-1 and 10-2.
Augustana and MSUM crossed paths twice last season. First, on Feb. 27, 2011 the Vikings and the Dragons met in a neutral site, St. Cloud, Minn. The Vikings defeated the Dragons, 16-4. On April 23, 2011 the two teams met again in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Vikings swept the Dragons, 15-0 and 8-0.
