SIOUX CITY, Iowa – MSU Moorhead stormed back to claim an extra inning victory in game one before polishing off a sweep of the SMSU Mustangs in game two on Friday evening.

The Dragons defeated the Mustangs 8-7 in eight innings in game one and followed that up with a 3-1 win in game two to claim the sweep. The wins move MSUM to 19-7 on the season, the most wins since 2008.
 
Game One
 
The Mustangs would strike first thanks to a pair of walks in the first inning by Kaelyn Leverson. SMSU would score two runs (one being unearned on an error) to take a quick 2-0 lead. The Dragons would respond by cutting that lead in half thanks to an RBI singles from Mack Gallagher. SMSU would widen their lead to two runs in the top of the third inning on an RBI single.

It took until the sixth inning until the Dragon bats woke up a bit as Jordey Smith would drive in an RBI on a sacrifice fly to bring the score to 3-2 in favor of SMSU. Annika Norman would reach on a fielder's choice later in the inning, which scored Eliya Johnson thanks to a Mustang error, tying the game at three runs apiece. However, the Mustangs would respond with a massive seventh inning, scoring four runs thanks to two RBI extra-base hits. With the score 7-3 heading into the final half frame, the Dragons needed a resounding effort to comeback. 

They did just that. 

MSUM would score four runs of their own in the frame highlighted by a three-run double by Avery Steffen, which tied the game at seven. The Dragons were unable to push Steffen across for the winning run, forcing the game into extras. Evey Evans would pitch a lights-out top of the eighth inning to give the Dragons another shot at victory. MSUM would get runners on quickly in the bottom of the eighth as Jordey Smith stepped to the plate. Smith crushed a ball to centerfield that came inches away from being a walk-off home run. Never the less, the ball bounced just in front of the fence to score Eliya Johnson and solidify a Dragon win, 8-7.
 
Game Two
 
Eliya Johnson pitched a strong game for MSUM in the circle, slinging five innings and only surrendering seven hits and a run. Johnson struck out one Mustang and forced 10 groundouts throughout her time on the mound. The Dragons would provide some help to Johnson in her quest for her fourth win of the season as Annika Norman kicked off the scoring with a sacrifice fly to score Johnson in the bottom of the second. Mack Gallagher would bring in a run in the third thanks to an RBI single which scored Evey Evans.

Johnson would surrender her lone run in the top half of the fourth on an RBI single from SMSU. Following the fifth inning, Evans would come to try and slam the door shut on the Mustangs. Azalya Lopez would tack on an insurance run in the bottom of the fifth to score Johnson and push the Dragon lead to 3-1. Evans would pitch a solid two innings, giving up only one hit to the six batters she faced. The junior also tallied a strike out as she collected the save to secure an MSUM win.
 
Up Next

MSUM (19-7, 6-1 NSIC) is back at Hubbard Park in Sioux City tomorrow for a doubleheader with Sioux Falls. First pitch is scheduled at noon.