BISMARCK, N.D. – A five-run sixth inning sparked the comeback as the Minnesota State University Moorhead softball team rallied for a 6-5 win over Mary in action on Wednesday in Bismarck, N.D. The win gave the Dragons a split on the day as Mary won the first game, 4-1.

MSUM is now 9-19 overall and 2-10 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference while Mary is 8-22 and 2-9 in the league.

In the second game, junior first baseman Lauren Meeker was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Senior pitcher Kristen Nordby was 2-for-2 with a triple and a run scored. Freshman right fielder Aunica Novacek was 2-for-3 with a triple, while freshman third baseman Morgan Anderson was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Junior center fielder Carly Williamson was 1-for-4 with a triple and two RBI. Redshirt freshman pitcher Gabby Williams added a hit for MSUM.

Nordby got the win, going six innings. She struck out four and walked two, allowing four earned runs and seven hits. Williams picked up her first collegiate save, giving up one earned run in one inning.

The Dragons took a 1-0 lead in the first. Nordby tripled with two out and scored on a wild pitch to give MSUM an early one-run advantage.

Mary tied the game with a run in the second, and built a 4-1 lead with a three-run fourth.

The Dragons mounted their comeback in the sixth. Nordby singled, and was forced out at second on a fielder's choice by senior left fielder Kristy Bruni. Meeker doubled to score Bruni, bringing MSUM within 4-2. Junior second baseman Jill Fox walked, and both runners advanced a base on a groundout. With two out, Anderson singled to right field to score Fox and Meeker, tying the game at 4-4.

Novacek kept the inning alive with a single, and Williamson delivered with the big hit, a two-run triple, to score Anderson and Novacek, giving MSUM a 6-4 lead.

"We showed a lot of character coming back when we were down. We fought back one run at a time," MSUM head coach Kelsey Fehl said. "It was great to see us string hits together and score runs at a crucial time and have different people step up offensively."

Mary mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, cutting the lead to 6-5. The Marauders had the tying run at second and the winning run at first with two out, but Williams got Kylie Alto to ground out to end the game.

In the opener, freshman shortstop Taylor Roddie was 1-for-3 with an RBI for MSUM, while  sophomore catcher Megan Asham was 1-for-2 with a double, while Bruni, junior designated hitter Kristina Villalobos, Anderson and Meeker were each 1-for-3.

Senior pitcher Morgan Nybo took the loss for MSUM, going the full six innings. She struck out nine, tying a season-high, while walking three. Nybo surrendered four earned runs.

Two big hits by Mary were the difference – a two-run triple by Kylie Alto in the fourth and a two-run homer by Colleen Crutchfield in the sixth.

MSUM got on the board first. Anderson singled with one out, and moved to third on a double by Asham. One out later, Roddie singled to score Anderson with the game's first run.

The Dragons had two runners on with one out in the fourth but were unable to get a run across. They brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh but a pop out and strike out ended that threat.

MSUM is back at home on Saturday to host Minnesota State, Mankato for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.