In its first Junction Avenue Field activity since last spring, the University of Minnesota Duluth picked up a pair of 4-1 victories over Concordia-St. Paul University on a brisk afternoon.

The Bulldogs move to 9-1 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play and are now 25-9 overall.

Some sneaky base running by sophomore center fielder Carlie Hart in the first inning helped CSP jump out to a 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs would tie things up in the third before putting the game out of reach for the Golden Bears in the fourth. Freshman third baseman Lauren Oberle, sophomore left fielder Sammi Sadler, and sophomore catcher Hannah Bloch would each collect a single in a three-run fourth for UMD. Senior pitcher Sam Hartmann (W, 11-3) commanded the mound for 5.0 innings, allowing just three hits and one run while setting down three Golden Bears en route to her 11th win of the season. Freshman designated-player/pitcher Ashley Taipale (S, 3) would come in for relief in the sixth, walking a pair and striking out a pair in 2.0 innings. 

UMD was held scoreless in the first five innings of the rematch before a triple off the bat of junior center fielder Hannah Schmoll sparked what would be a five-hit, four-run bottom of the sixth in which the Bulldogs would collectively hit for the cycle. Junior second baseman Natalie Wright drove in Schmoll with a double. Junior shortstop Becky Smith then connected on a single to center which would ultimately bring home Wright thanks to a throwing error by the center fielder. Not wanting to be left out of the scoring, Oberle knocked a two-run home run over the left-center field fence. Sophomore pitcher Valerie Hohol kept UMD in the game by allowing just one run on six hits in her second straight complete game. 

"I think they just kept the ball down and located moving in and out just like all good pitchers have to do," said head coach Jen Walter when asked about her pitcher's performances on the day. "And we had pretty good defense behind them. That's the key."

The Bulldogs will return to Junction Avenue Field Saturday to face off against the No. 18 Minnesota State University-Mankato Mavericks with game times of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. 

"I think these guys have been ready to play Mankato since the beginning of the year," Walter said. "That's just always a huge game. They know a lot of the kids on that team ... It's not hard to get fired up for a team like that, and it's nice to have momentum. Coming off the two wins today, and even that last inning there where our hitters just kind of put it together, that gives us some confidence. But it's gonna [sic] be a battle tomorrow; we're looking forward to it."