MINOT, N.D. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead softball team earned an 11-7 win over Providence (Mont.) during the final day of the Minot State Dome Tournament on Sunday in Minot, N.D. The win gave MSUM a split on the day as the Dragons lost a 6-5 heartbreaker to Minot State earlier.

MSUM is now 1-3 on the nonconference season.

A day after managing just six hits and two runs in two games, the Dragon offense exploded for 17 runs and 29 hits on Sunday.

"It was great to bounce back after Saturday," MSUM head coach Kelsey Fehl said. "We came out and were able to do a lot of great things offensively and put some runs on the board."

Against Providence, MSUM pounded out 17 hits, including three for extra bases. Freshman outfielder Elizabeth Johnson was 4-for-4 with two RBI, while sophomore Madison Paige was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI. Senior Aunica Novacek was 3-for-3 with an RBI  Sophomore outfielder Taylor Kelenic was 1-for-1 with a double and two RBI. Freshman first baseman Ashley McCance and senior catcher Megan Asham each had two hits and two runs scored.. Sophomore shortstop Emma Dummer and sophomore third baseman Payton Gaber each had a hit and an RBI while junior second baseman Lexie Kennedy had an RBI.

Freshman Becky Berth picked up the win, giving up one earned run in 2.2 innings of relief. She struck out three.

MSUM built a 6-0 lead thanks to a big six-run second inning. Kelenic's two-run double was the big hit of the inning while Gaber, Johnson, Paige and Dummer added RBI.

Providence came back to tie the game at 7-7 in the fifth.  The Dragons answered in the bottom of the inning, thanks to an RBI double from Paige, who drove in Johnson, who singled to lead off the inning. The Dragons added insurance runs in the sixth, thanks to RBI from Novacek and Johnson.

"We showed a lot of grit after they came back and tied it at 7-7," Fehl said. "We never gave up and answered right back.  Overall it was a great team win."

In the opening loss to Minot, four Dragons had two hits each: Kennedy, Kelenic, Dummer and Berth. Novacek was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Dummer, Johnson and Berth had RBI. Paige and McCance also had hits.

Berth took the loss, giving up four earned runs in six innings. She struck out three and walked four.

Minot State led 4-0 after one inning.The Dragons scored four runs in the second to tie the game, thanks to RBI from Berth, Dummer, Novacek and Johnson. Minot regained the lead in the bottom of the inning at 6-4.

MSUM got within 6-5 when Novacek's sacrifice fly scored McCance in the sixth.  The Dragons put the go ahead run on base in that inning but was unable to score any more runs.

The Dragons' next action is at the West St. Paul Dome Tournament on Feb. 22-23. The Dragons will play four nonconference games at the event, including facing Concordia-St. Paul twice and Southwest Minnesota State and Bemidji State once.