MOORHEAD, Minn. --  Senior Brittany York ripped an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Minnesota State University Moorhead softball team to a 4-3 win over Minnesota Duluth in the first game of a doubleheader on Tuesday in Moorhead, Minn. The Bulldogs came back with an 8-3 win in Game 2 to salvage the split.

The first-game win was the Dragons' first over Minnesota Duluth since Feb. 25, 2007. MSUM is now 11-9 overall and 1-5 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference while UMD is 20-11 overall and 4-4 in the league.

In the opening win, York was 2-for-4 with an RBI, including the game-winning hit, while sophomore second baseman Jill Fox was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Senior shortstop Taylor Huss was 1-for-2 with two RBI for MSUM. Senior center fielder Mollie Annen, junior pitcher Morgan Nybo and sophomore left fielder Carly Williamson were each 1-for-3 for MSUM.

Nybo picked up her team-best ninth win of the year on the mound after a strong outing. She allowed three runs (two earned) while striking out five and walking two. She escaped a huge bases loaded jam in the sixth to help MSUM preserve its one-run lead.

"It was a great team win with good defense, pitching and clutch hits," MSUM head coach Kelsey Fehl said. "Brittany was able to come up with a big hit in the bottom of the seventh."

MSUM led 3-2 going into the seventh but UMD pushed across an unearned run to tie the game at 3-3. With one out in the seventh, Annen singled, and moved to second on a Fox bloop single. York crushed a hard-hit ball to right center and Annen came around from second to score to give MSUM the walk-off 4-3 win.

UMD led 2-0 after the top of the first.  The Dragons came back with two runs in the third to tie the game. With two out, Fox singled, and York reached on an error. Huss smashed a double to right center to score both runners, tying the game at 2-2.

MSUM took the lead in the fifth. Williamson singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. Annen walked, and both runners moved ahead on a sacrifice bunt by Fox. One out later, Williamson scored on a wild pitch to give the Dragons their first lead at 3-2.

A huge sequence came in the sixth. UMD loaded the bases with nobody out. Nybo struck out Ashley Schilling looking, and the next batter, Heather Woyak, hit into a fielder's choice with the run being forced at home. A fly out to right field ended the threat with MSUM still up by one.

The game was 3-2 heading into the seventh. MSUM won the game in the bottom of the seventh on York's walk-off hit.

In the second game, York was 2-for-3 while sophomore designated hitter Hannah Klug was 2-for-4. Junior right fielder Kristy Bruni had a double and an RBI while sophomore first baseman Lauren Meeker was 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI. Huss and Williamson added hits for MSUM.

Junior Kristen Nordby, whose mound time has been limited of late because of injury, took the loss for MSUM, allowing four earned runs in four innings. She struck out one and walked one. Williamson finished the game and allowed four runs in three innings, striking out three.

UMD took a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run homer by Jordan Rice. The Bulldogs added two more runs in the third and one in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead.

The Dragons fought back in the sixth and actually brought the go-ahead run to the plate. Huss led off by a single, and Nordby was hit by a pitch and was pinch-ran for by Nybo. A groundout moved both runners up a base. Bruni hit a long fly to center that went for a double, scoring Huss and bringing MSUM within 5-1.

After UMD made a pitching change, Meeker clobbered a double to deep left, scoring Bruni and Nybo and bringing MSUM within 5-3. Williamson followed with a single to put the tying run on base and the go-ahead run at the plate. However, a strikeout and a groundout ended the Dragons' threat.

UMD added three runs in the top of the seventh to push the lead to 8-3.

MSUM continues its homestand on Friday when it hosts Wayne State (Neb.). The doubleheader begins at 2 p.m. at the MSUM Softball Field.