In a battle of two teams that combined for 172 home runs throughout the season, it was expected that the two clubs battling for central region supremacy would rack up plenty of offensive numbers at Dawson Field at the Mulerider Softball Complex.

It was anything but that.

The University of Minnesota Duluth fell 1-0 in a pitcher's showdown to No. 8 Southern Arkansas University in game one of the best-of-three in the NCAA Super Regionals in Magnolia, Ark. Jill Roye had the game's only run on, of course, a solo home run in the second inning as the Lady Muleriders kept the No. 25 Bulldogs off the scoreboard for the third time all season.

UMD, which fell into a similar situation last week losing a 1-0 decision in the NCAA Central Region 1 Tournament before rallying, will need to win both games tomorrow to advance to the NCAA Division II Softball Championship on May 24-28 in Salem, Va.

Junior pitcher Valerie Hohol and Southern Arkansas ace Victoria Taylor went toe-to-toe on the pitching rubber as both starters combined to give up eight hits on the evening. Taylor would eventually claim the duel but not without dodging multiple base runners. Taylor, who is 31-0 on the season in her 36 starts, managed to tally her eighth shutout after stranding seven Bulldog runners including getting out of a one-out base-loaded jam in the third.

Despite the loss, Hohol (19-9) has given up two runs or less in eight or her last 10 starts. She provided UMD (44-15) every chance to stick the Lady Muleriders (56-9) their first home loss of the season (20-0).

Senior second baseman Natalie Wright had one of those opportunities in the first. She cracked a 1-1 inner-half pitch off the fence for a double. Wright nearly gave the Bulldogs the advantage as she needed two more feet to clear the right-field barrier. Junior first baseman Kalynn Tilton hooked a ball down the left field line for a double in the sixth but was left at second. Tilton was also hit by a pitch in the contest, her 15th of the season, tying Sammie Gardner for most plunks in a single-season.

Putting together one last rally, UMD had a break go the wrong way. Senior outfielder Hannah Schmoll, who robbed a home run in the first inning, ripped a liner towards first base but Marina Duran was able to snag the ball before it carried into the right field corner for extra bases. To Duran's luck, she was able to double up the Bulldogs to end the game.

UMD and Southern Arkansas will go at again tomorrow with game two of the series starting at 2:00 p.m. Game three will be played following the conclusion of game two if the Bulldogs win.