Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 In its final tune up before the start of the 2014 postseason, the University of Minnesota Duluth had to grind out a pair Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference battles against No. 8-ranked Minnesota State University-Mankato and sealed a split by way of a 4-0 loss and 6-2 win at the MSU Softball Diamond in Mankato, Minn. The Bulldogs are now 4-3 against National Fastpitch Coaches' Association Top 25 foes this season.

Freshman Mariah Schultz opened up the two-game set in the circle. The Lewiston, Minn. native tossed all six innings and maintained good control throughout in her second career start, striking out six Mavericks and giving up a walk. Schultz (4-1) ran into trouble in the fourth when she left a pitch up in the zone to Chelsea Riordan, who hit it over the fence for a three-run shot. 

Mavericks' starting pitcher Coley Ries was the difference maker in the opener. Ries struck out 17 and kept UMD hitless through most of the game until the six inning when sophomore infielder Sami Schnyder led off the inning with a her third double in as many games. However, the Bulldogs would only muster that lone hit and was shutout for only the third time this spring. 

UMD's Cayli Sadler and MSU's Brittany Lauterbach squared off in a pitcher's duel in the back end of the double header with Sadler eventually outlasting her counterpart. Sadler went the distance for her 19th win of the season. Sadler (19-11) scattered seven hits while only giving up two runs to gain the split with the help of late-inning production from her offense.

The action escalated in the sixth with a lead off single by Schnyder, who stretched her streak of consecutive games with a hit to 11. Schultz hammered a two-run shot to left to slingshot the Bulldogs ahead 2-1. Senior Megan Mullen singled and chased Lauterbach, who surrendered three straight hits, off the rubber. Ries, in relief, loaded the bases with no outs and got out of the jam on hectic triple play that featured a pop out, a runner tagged out advancing and a runner leaving early. 

The Mavericks tied the ball game at two on a squeeze sacrifice bunt and nearly took the lead back if not for a great throw to first by shortstop Mel Jarvi. Sophomore outfielder Ashley Schilling, who gave UMD the lead on a home run yesterday, went to the opposite field for her seventh home run of the year to put the Bulldogs back in front.

That home run would spark the offense into scoring four times in the seventh off three hits, an error and a walk. Schnyder singled home junior Jordan Rice, Schultz executed a perfect squeeze bunt of her own and reached safely, scoring freshman Kylie Pewe, and sophomore Ashley Lewis reached on an error to plate Schultz. Lewis would end the game gunning out Maverick Emily Branski at third trying to steal.

The Bulldogs, who finished the regular season 25-19 and 11-8 in conference play, will par take in the NSIC Tournament after clinching a berth yesterday. Play begins Thursday (May 1) in Sioux Falls, S.D. with the league's top ten teams battling for a NCAA automatic bid. The opponent will be determined as other league games finish up.