Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MOORHEAD, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead softball team recorded a pair of wins on Tuesday. The Dragons topped the New York Institute of Technology, 5-2, in a game that was completed on Tuesday after being suspended in the seventh inning on Saturday, and then edged West Chester, 2-1, thanks to a walk-off home run from sophomore Kristen Nordby.

The Dragons improved to 4-3 on the season with the victories. MSUM's game with St. Leo, which was scheduled for Tuesday, was canceled because wet field conditions caused the postponement of several games.

In the win over NYIT, sophomore designated hitter Kristy Bruni was 2-for-3 with a home run, while freshman third baseman Kristina Villalobos was 1-for-2 with a two-run homer. Junior center fielder Mollie Annen was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Junior catcher Brittany York had a double and an RBI while junior shortstop Taylor Huss added a double. Freshman left fielder Carly Williamson and junior right fielder Heather Tice added hits for MSUM.

Nordby was solid on the mound in picking up her first collegiate pitching win. She pitched a completed game and allowed two earned runs, scattering nine hits. She struck out eight and walked one.

MSUM was down 2-0 earlier but scored five unanswered runs – including three in the top of the seventh – to earn the win. The key hit was a two-run homer by Villalobos, her first as a Dragon.

"Even after getting behind early, we were able to find a way to put runs on the board and finish the game strong," MSUM head coach Kelsey Fehl said.

NYIT led 2-0 after scoring twice in the bottom of the first.  Bruni got MSUM on the board with a solo homer – her team-best second of the season – to cut the Bears' lead to 2-1. The Dragons tied the game at 2-2 in the sixth when Annen singled and scored on a double by York.

The Dragons then mounted the decisive rally in the seventh. Bruni led off with a single and was sacrificed to second by freshman second baseman Jill Fox. Villalobos then ripped a two-run homer to center to put MSUM in front for the first time at 4-2. Tice then singled, and Annen followed with a single. One out later, York's grounder was misplayed at shortstop, scoring Tice with MSUM's fifth run.

NYIT brought the winning run to the plate in the seventh inning as the Bears loaded the bases with two out, but Nordby got a groundout to end the game.
In the win over West Chester, Williamson was 2-for-3, while Nordby was 2-for-3 with a homer and an RBI. Annen added a double while York added a hit.

Sophomore pitcher Morgan Nybo improved to 3-1 on the year with another strong outing. She did not allow an earned run and struck out two while walking five.
West Chester scored one run in the top of the third to take a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the third, Annen doubled with two out, and moved to third on a base hit by Williamson. York singled to score Annen to tie the game at 1-1.

The game was a pitching duel between Nybo and West Chester's Katie Erb as the score was deadlocked until the seventh. With one out, Nordby ended the game with a solo homer to left, giving MSUM a 2-1 lead.

"Morgan threw a great game and Kristen came up huge with the big hit," Fehl said. "Our defense was solid and we made some big plays."

MSUM, which is 4-1 on its Florida trip so far, concludes its southern swing against New Haven (which is receiving votes in the latest NFCA Division II poll) at noon on Wednesday and wraps up the day against No. 18-ranked Caldwell.