Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
JAMESTOWN, N.D. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead softball team stretched its winning streak to six games with a sweep of Jamestown in nonconference action Monday in Jamestown, N.D. The Dragons prevailed by scores of 8-4 and 8-5.
MSUM is now 15-18 on the year, while Jamestown fell to 18-18. The six-game winning streak for the Dragons is the longest since the 2008 season, and the 15 wins in a season is the most for MSUM since the 2008.

In the first game, MSUM hit three homers and had four extra-base hits overall. Junior shortstop Taylor Huss was 2-for-3 with two homers and five RBI. Sophomore pitcher Morgan Nybo was 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI. Junior right fielder Heather Tice was 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored, while sophomore second baseman Kristen Nordby was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Freshman third baseman Kristina Villalobos was 2-for-3, while junior catcher Brittany York, junior fielder Mollie Annen and junior right fielder Rachel Sannicandro each had hits.

"It was nice to come out and show the power in the first game," MSUM head coach Kelsey Fehl said. "Taylor Huss hit a couple of big home runs with runners which were huge hits for us."

Nybo picked up her eighth win of the season on the mound, allowing four runs (only one earned) in seven innings. She struck out five and walked four and scattered 13 hits. Jamestown stranded 12 runners against Nybo.

MSUM scored first when Nybo hit a solo homer – her first of her collegiate career – with one out in the second to give the Dragons an early 1-0 lead. Jamestown came back to tie the game in the bottom of the second thanks to two hits and a walk.

The Dragons broke the game open with four runs in the third. Villalobos singled to shortstop to lead off the inning, and freshman Hannah Klug stepped in as a pinch runner. Freshman left fielder Carly Williamson walked, and both runners moved ahead on a wild pitch. One out later, Tice singled to second, scoring Klug and giving MSUM a 2-1 lead.  After a ground out, Huss delivered a huge two-out hit, a three-run homer, to push the Dragon lead to 5-1.

The advantage grew to six runs in the fifth. With one out, York singled, and Huss followed with her second homer of the day – a two-run shot this time – to extend the advantage to 7-1.

Jamestown battled back with two unearned runs in the fifth to cut the lead to 7-3. MSUM added an insurance run in the seventh when Nordby ripped an RBI double to score York, who had reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning.

Jamestown scored another unearned run in the seventh but Nybo struck out the final batter to secure an 8-4 Dragon win.
In the second game, MSUM led 4-1 early before Jamestown rallied with four runs. The Dragons came back with a four-run sixth inning to regain the lead for good.

"In the second game we were able to answer back and show some resiliency after Jamestown had taken the lead," Fehl said. "Kristy Bruni had two big hits to get us on the board, and Mollie and Brittany came through with two key hits in the sixth to help us rally."

 Sophomore right fielder Kristy Bruni was 2-for-2 with three RBI, while Annen was 2-for-4 with three RBI. York was 1-for-4 with a key two-run homer. Williamson was 2-for-3 with a run scored, while freshman second baseman Jill Fox was 1-for-3 with two runs scored. Huss and freshman first baseman Lauren Meeker also had hits for MSUM.

Nordby got the win, her seventh of the season, allowing five earned runs in seven innings. She struck out three and walked one.
MSUM got on the board first with three runs in the top of the second. Huss led off with a single, and Meeker reached on an error on a bunt, moving Huss to second. Villalobos walked to load the bases. One out later, Bruni singled up the middle to score Huss and Meeker, giving MSUM a 2-0 lead.  One out later, Annen singled to score Villalobos, giving MSUM a 3-0 lead.

The Jimmies scored a run in the bottom of the third to cut the lead to 3-1. In the fourth, the Dragons got the run back. With one out, Fox doubled, and moved to third on a wild pitch. Bruni singled to left to score Fox to push the Dragon lead to 4-1.

Jamestown put together a big rally in the fifth, scoring four runs off of four hits to take a 5-4 lead. MSUM battled right back in the sixth, as Fox walked to lead off the inning. Bruni's sacrifice bunt moved Fox to second. Williamson reached on a bunt single to put runners on first and third with nobody out. Annen doubled to left to score both runners, helping MSUM regain the lead at 6-5. One out later, York hit her team-best sixth homer of the season, a two-run blast, to push the lead to 8-5.

Jamestown loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but Nordby got a fielder's choice and a pop out to escape the threat unscathed.

MSUM is back in action on Wednesday at Minnesota Duluth for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.

Notes: York now leads MSUM with six homers and 20 RBI…heading back into NSIC play with Wednesday, MSUM is now in 10th place in the league, which is the final qualifying spot for the conference tournament. The Dragons are percentage points ahead of Upper Iowa and just percentage points behind Concordia-St. Paul, which is in ninth place…Annen has nine hits in her last 15 at-bats to raise her season average to .333.