The University of Minnesota Duluth advanced to the next round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference after burying the University of Sioux Falls 4-0. The Bulldogs (39-11) will take on the winner of second-seed Augustana University and eighth-seed Concordia University, St. Paul, who won its play-in game earlier in the day.

The sixth-seeded Cougars (31-17) drop to the loser's bracket will play Minot State University in the elimination game at 4:00 p.m.

Junior pitcher Valerie Hohol, who received the NSIC Elite 18 Award for the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average in the tournament, was dominant in the circle. She was in control of Sioux Falls all day long as she tossed seven innings of four-hit ball for her third shutout of the season. Hohol only needed 74 pitches to dispose of the Cougars. The Woodbury, Minn., native has established personal bests in wins (17), starts (23), complete games (16), innings pitched (136.1) and strikeouts (78) this season.

Senior second baseman Nataile Wright had herself a day at the plate. Wright, who was named to the All-NSIC second team yesterday, went 3-for-3 with a home run and 3 RBI. Her home run in the sixth, her sixth of the season, put the nail in the coffin.

The Bulldogs left the bases juiced in the first but scored a pair of runs the next inning. Senior outfielder Hannah Schmoll ripped a ball right back up the middle to score freshman catcher Jessica Bren, who was standing 60 feet away after stealing second and third. The following at-bat Wright dropped one in the Bermuda Triangle just past the second baseman into right center and scored Schmoll.

Wright drove in Schmoll again in the fourth. The Wyoming, Minn., native connected on an inside pitch and rifled it over the first-base bag and into the right field corner for a double.

UMD roughed up USF pitcher Kerrigan Hoshaw for four runs off seven hits and and six walks. In the two games against the Bulldogs, Hoshaw has allowed 14 runs on 18 hits and nine walks in 13 innings. Schmoll had three hits along with Wright and also stole a pair of bases to tie her single-season UMD record of 40 stolen bases.

The Bulldogs play either the No. 14 Vikings or the Beavers tomorrow at Sherman Field in Sioux Falls, S.D., starting at 12:00 p.m.