ST. CLOUD, Minn. – A huge first game on the mound and at the plate for senior Morgan Nybo helped the Minnesota State University Moorhead softball team earn a 6-0 win over St. Cloud State in Game 1 of a doubleheader on Wednesday in St. Cloud, Minn. The Dragons ended up with a split on the day as St. Cloud State prevailed in the second game by a 4-1 score.

MSUM is now 15-27 overall and 8-18 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference while St. Cloud State is 24-27 and 10-16 in the league.
Nybo had a huge day on the mound and at the plate. She pitched 11 scoreless innings in the doubleheader, including a two-hit shutout in the opener, and allowed just four hits. She struck out eight and walked only one on the day.

"Morgan Nybo had a great day on the mound today," MSUM head coach Kelsey Fehl said. "She threw strikes and was in command from the first pitch."

Nybo also finished 4-for-7 (.571) with four RBI on the day.

In the opening win, Nybo was 3-for-4 with four RBI.  Senior second baseman Kristen Nordby was 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI, while senior left fielder Kristy Bruni had an RBI. Junior first baseman Lauren Meeker, freshman shortstop Taylor Roddie and junior center fielder Carly Williamson had hits for MSUM. Williamson and Roddie each scored two runs.

Nybo was in total control on the mound, firing a two-hit shutout, her second of the season. She struck five and walked only one.

The Dragons got on the board right away in the first. Williamson walked, and Roddie followed with a single to shortstop. Both runners advanced on a passed ball.  One out later, Bruni hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Williamson with the game's first run. Nybo was the next batter and singled up the middle to score Roddie, giving MSUM a 2-0 lead.

In the third, Williamson singled, and Roddie followed with a walk. Two out later, Nybo singled to right-center to score both runners, bringing the score to 4-0.

While the four-run lead was plenty for Nybo on the mound, the Dragons added two more insurance runs in the fifth. Nordby homered with two out to make it 5-0. Bruni then walked, stole second and scored on Nybo's single to make it 6-0.

"We were able to score some runs early which was crucial," Fehl said. "Morgan had a huge game at the plate and came through with clutch hits to drive in runs,especially some two-out hits."

After leaving the bases loaded in the second, St. Cloud State did not muster another runner in the game as Nybo sent down the final 16 Husky batters.
 
In the second game, Bruni was 2-for-3, while Nordby was 1-for-3 with a homer, her team-leading fifth of the year. Williamson, Nybo, junior second baseman Jill Fox, Meeker and Savanah Tweet added hits for MSUM. Williamson's hit was a double.

Nordby took the loss for MSUM, going two innings and allowing four earned runs. Nybo was stellar in relief, going four scoreless innings and allowing just two hits.

A pair of two-out rallies by St. Cloud State in the first inning and second inning were the difference in the second game. Megan Hedstrom's two-out, two-run homer in the first was the big hit for the Huskies.

The Dragons got on the board in the fourth with one out. Nordby hit a solo homer to right, her second of the day, to bring MSUM within 4-1.

The Dragons mounted a threat in the fifth with two outs thanks to three hits, including a double by Williamson, but a fly out to center ended the threat. MSUM also put runners on in the sixth and seventh innings but were unable to cut into the lead.a

MSUM wraps up the regular season with a pair of home doubleheaders this weekend, starting on Saturday against Minnesota Crookston. The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the MSUM Softball Field.