ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead softball team dropped a pair of games to Southwest Minnesota State on Friday, losing 8-1 and 9-2 at the Presentation Dome in Aberdeen, S.D.

MSUM fell to 9-15 overall and 2-4 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference while SMSU improved to 10-15 and 5-5 in the league.

"We didn't get the big clutch hits with runners in scoring position and they did in both games," MSUM head coach Kelsey Fehl said. "We need to work on being consistent in all phases of the game and today we were not."

In the opener, sophomore outfielder Madison Paige was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Freshman pitcher Becky Berth was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Freshman left fielder Elizabeth Johnson, freshman first baseman Ashley McCance and sophomore designated hitter Payton Gaber had hits.

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

In Game 2, McCance was 2-for-4 while Gaber was 1-for-4 with an RBI. Senior catcher Megan Asham was 1-for-3 with a run scored.  Paige had a double while senior Aunica Novacek and Johnson had hits. Junior second baseman Lexie Kennedy had an RBI.

White took the loss, giving up five runs (four earned) in 4.2 innings. She struck out three. Gaber pitched the final 2.1 innings and allowed four runs, none of which were earned.

MSUM will wrap up the weekend against Sioux Falls on Saturday. The doubleheader begins at 2 p.m.