MINOT, N.D. – MSU Moorhead softball opened the 2025 season on Friday evening in a non-conference doubleheader with Minot State. The teams split the pair at the Minot State Bubble Invite.
Minot State won game one (3-0) before the Dragons earned an extra innings victory in game two, 5-4. The game two win against the Beavers is the first in the tenure of
Vanessa Kellems.
Game One
Both clubs used the opening inning to shake the rust off their bats to begin 2025. The Dragons would be held in check in the top of the first inning before
Teagan Clemmons had a nice response in the bottom half. Clemmons would strike out the first two batters she faced and set Minot State down in order.
The inaugural hit of the season came off the bat of
Eliya Johnson in the second inning on a single. While the Dragons were unable to score in the frame, Clemmons would also keep the Beavers off the board.
Avery Steffen would get MSUM's first runner in scoring position on a one-out double in the third inning. Again, the Dragons could not bring around Steffen, keeping the game scoreless. Clemmons would strike out another Beaver in the home half of the third, bringing her total to five.
Senior
Annika Norman would earn her first hit of the season on a single in the fourth inning. The Dragons would not bring a run across as Clemmons would encounter her first jam in the next half inning. Minot State would get runners to second and third following a hit, an MSUM error and a wild pitch. The Beavers would plate two runs to break the scoreless tie.
The Dragons would be unable to register a hit across the fifth and sixth innings. Minot State would tack on an insurance run in the home half of the sixth to lead, 3-0. MSUM would not be able to manage a hit in the final half inning and would fall, 3-0. Clemmons finished the contest with seven strikeouts and only one earned run.
Game Two
MSUM would get their bats up in the second game as Steffen led off the contest with a three-bagger.
Teagan Pranchke would drive in MSUM's first run of 2025 on an RBI groundout. The teams would be tied after one inning as starter Steffen surrendered an earned run. However, Steffen would work out of a jam in the second, stranding a Beaver in scoring position.
Neither team would score across the third and fourth innings despite a pair of hits for each side. Steffen would earn a single in the third with Norman earning a single in the fourth. The senior Steffen would fan five Beavers to that point of the contest.
Lacey Camden would gather her first hit in the top of the fifth and would steal second to get in scoring position. After
Natalie Gonzalez was hit by a pitch, MSUM employed the dreaded double steal with Camden and Gonzalez safely landing on third and second, respectively. A pitch that went to the backstop had Camden heading for home with two outs. Unfortunately for MSUM, Camden was tagged out at home to end the inning with the score still even.
Steffen continued to look strong in the circle for MSUM, collecting another pair of strikeouts to conclude the fifth frame. Pranchke would get the Dragons going in the sixth with a sharply hit single. In the ensuing at-bat, Norman would go opposite field and earn a double, which scored Pranchke from first. Norman would later score on an RBI single from
Lexie Wilson.
After holding the Beavers scoreless in the bottom half, MSUM would threaten again. Camden would single as would
Olivia Goderis to give the Dragons a pair of baserunners with one out. Camden would steal third before Steffen got hit by a pitch to load the bags with two outs. The Dragons would eventually strand all three on base and head to the final half inning up by two runs.
Minot State would leadoff the home half with a double before getting runners at the corners. The Beavers would tie the score on back-to-back at-bats with two outs. Steffen would get out of the inning, sending the game into extra innings.
With Pranchke on second base to begin the extra frames, Wilson would provide the Dragons a needed jolt. The junior would smash a home run to right field to give the Dragons a 5-3 advantage. While Minot State would score a run in the bottom half, Steffen would rally. With a runner in scoring position and only one out, Steffen would strike out a pair of Beaver batters to secure a Dragon victory. The senior was solid in a complete game effort, downing 11 Beavers in the win.
Up Next
MSUM (1-1) is back inside the Minot State Bubble tomorrow afternoon for a pair of contests. The Dragons take on University of Providence at 12:15 p.m. before facing off with UMary at 2:30 p.m.
