MOORHEAD, Minn. — Freshman pitcher Reece Dahl fired her first collegiate shutout to help the Minnesota State University Moorhead softball team top Northern State, 4-0 in Game 1 of an Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader on Monday. The Dragons had to settle for a split as their rally fell short in an 8-5 loss.
MSUM is now 3-13 overall and 1-1 in the NSIC. Northern State is 10-6 overall and 1-1 in the league.
Dahl fired a five-hitter, not allowing an extra base hit. She struck out two and walked three. She got some key plays from her defense, including a pair of double plays that ended threats for the Wolves. The first double play came when junior second baseman Kaiya Sundeen turned a 4-3 double play in the fifth, and the second came in the sixth when freshman shortstop Miah Hartvigsen made a diving catch and doubled up a Northern runner at first.
Junior catcher Jordie McNeilly also threw out a runner trying to steal.
"Today defense was a highlight for us," MSUM head coach Amanda Reckamp said. "In our first game it just seemed like every time there was a threat an exceptional play was made to prevent them getting anyone across. Our middles came up huge for us. Jordie started by throwing out the runner to set the tone and then Miah and Kaiya made some huge players in key situations."
Junior left fielder Shay Weber was 3-for-4 with an RBI in the opener while designated hitter Kiley Washnieski was 2-for-2 with a triple and RBI. Hartvigsen was 2-for-3 with a run scored. Junior right fielder Ally Helgoe had a hit and a run scored while junior first baseman Samantha Gjerde had an RBI.
MSUM scored a pair of unearned runs in the second, keyed by Washnieski's bunt single that was thrown away, allowing two runs to score. In the third, Gjerde's sacrifice fly scored Weber to make it 3-0.
Weber's bunt single in the fourth brought home Washnieski and built a 4-0 MSUM advantage.
In the second game, senior third baseman Emma Dummer was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Gjerde was 2-for-3 with an RBI while Hartvigsen was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Sundeen, Weber and senior center fielder Elizabeth Johnson had hits for MSUM and also scored runs.
Junior Anna Lang took the loss, giving up six runs, five earned, in 5.1 innings. She walked three. Dahl pitched 1.2 innings and allowed two unearned runs.
MSUM was down 8-1 in Game 2 and battled back to within 8-5, and put the tying run at the plate in the seventh.
"Game 2, offensively we had enough to get that win but we just needed to be cleaner defensively as those plays turned into runs," Reckamp said. "Overall we showed that we are here to compete in conference play and can find multiple ways to battle."
MSUM is on the road this weekend to face Winona State (doubleheader on Friday) and Upper Iowa (doubleheader on Saturday).
