The University of Minnesota Duluth has taken part in eight Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheaders to date and seven of those twinbills have ended in a split. The latest came Saturday afternoon at James S. Malosky Stadium where the host Bulldogs commenced the day with a convincing 8-1 triumph over Southwest Minnesota State University only to drop the nightcap, 3-2.

In the opener, Southwest Minnesota State grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning, but UMD (23-16 overall; 7-9 in the NSIC) took the lead for good in its first at bats, getting a two-run double from shortstop Becky Smith. The Bulldogs scored twice again in the third (on senior first baseman Jordan Rice's 10th homer of the season) and added three more runs in the fourth to ice the victory, its third straight over the Mustangs this season. Rice wound up going 3-for-4 with five RBI while Smith had a pair of hits. Junior pitcher Cayli Sadler improved to 12-9 on the season after allowing six hits (jus four from the second inning on) and striking out six.

UMD found itself trailing 2-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth in Game 2 before getting on the board via Smith's solo blast that cleared the fence in left centerfield (her 10th homer of 2015, tying her with Rice for the team lead). Trailing 3-2, the Bulldogs opened the bottom of the seventh with a double from junior right fielder Ashley Schilling and run-scoring single by junior third baseman Sami Schnyder. Southwest Minnesota State's Alex Connor, who threw both ends of the doubleheader and ran up a pitch count of 216 over 14 innings, then got freshman Hannah Schmoll to pop out on an attempted bunt, Smith to strike out swingsing and Rice to line out to third base to squelch the rally. Schnyder, Smith and rookie second baseman Natalie Wright all collected two hits for UMD, which was 1-for-11 in RBI opportunities. Sophomore Sam Hartmann (11-7) took the complete-game loss despite surrendering only four hits.

The Bulldogs will close out their second annual 1FOUR Mandy Matula Weekend on Sunday with a pair of NSIC clashes against the University of Sioux Falls in Duluth.

Notes: Rice now has 40 homers to her lifetime credit, which is one shy of the UMD record set by Kierra Jeffers from 2010-13 ... Smith's double in Saturday's opening bout was her 17th of year. Gina Zech owns the Bulldogs' single-season mark with 18  (2007) ... The Bulldogs are an even 4-4 at home this spring ... UMD has outhit the opposition in 20 of its 23 victories this season.