Winning the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference title certainly was in the University of Minnesota Duluth's grasp as it entered the final weekend of the 2016 regular season. But in order to bring home the school's first league championship in three years, running the table in its final two doubleheaders was almost a must for the Bulldogs.

So far, so good.

The surging Bulldogs defeated the University of Mary twice, 9-2 and 5-4) Friday afternoon in Bismarck, N.D., to remain just one game back of both league-leading Minnesota State University-Mankato and Upper Iowa University in the loss column.

UMD (31-12 overall; 20-6 NSIC) used a five-run third inning to break away from Mary in the 9-2 victory. Sophomore shortstop Becky Smith went 2-for-4 and drove in three runs, including a pair with a third-inning double.  Sophomore center fielder Hannah Schmoll also picked up two hits and doubled once while senior right fielder Ashley Schilling, ind addition to going 1-for-2,  scored three runs, stole three bases and ended the game by throwing Mary's Kylie Alto out at home. 

Senior Cayli Sadler (13-7), who this past Wednesday became UMD's all-time career wins leader, allowed eight hits and struck out five en route to posting her 13th complete game of 2016. Sadler rode a shut out into the bottom of the sixth, but the Maruaders scored once in each of the final two innings. The Bulldogs also pounded out eight hits handed Mary's MeLaine Rodriguez (7-1) her first loss this spring.

In the nightcap, UMD pushed across a run in each of the first two innings only to see the Maruaders strike for four in the fourth go up 4-2. That lead, however, was short-lived as the Bulldogs, despite hitting the ball out of the infield just once (a single by Smith) in the top of the fifth, got runs from freshman left fielder Sammi Sadler and Schmoll to even the score. One inning later, junior  Hailey Lundquist, pinch running for rookie catcher Hannah Bloch (who led off with a single), scored the game-winning run on a double steal with two outs. UMD generated six hits with Smith (two), Schilling (two) and Bloch (two) accounting for all of them. Junior Sam Hartman (15-5) extended her winning streak to nine games with a six-hitter and threw 87 pitches over seven innings.

The Bulldogs, who have now eclipsed the 30-win plateau for the seventh time in the last eight years, will take on Minot State University in the regular season finales for both clubs. First pitch for that twinbill is set for 1 p.m. in Minot, N.D.