Taylor Koehnen provided the heroic ending to a wild first game of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference double header versus Bemidji State University.
 
The sophomore second baseman gave the University of Minnesota Duluth a walk-off 8-5 victory in eight innings with her one-out three-run homer to straight away left field to propel the Bulldogs to a sweep over the Beavers Tuesday at James S. Malosky Stadium.
 
It was the first walk-off homer by UMD since Natalie Wright launched a three-run game-clinching blast over Upper Iowa University back on April 25, 2015.

UMD nearly coughed up the front end of the twinbill but the offense stayed true to its power form. With 10 home runs in the last five games, the Bulldogs had four dingers alone in the opener. Sophomore catcher Jessica Bren homered in the first, freshman outfielder Erin Thompson went long in the fourth and junior shortstop Lauren Oberle made a trip around the bases with her team-leading eighth homer in the seventh. Oberle's homer was crucial as UMD gave up its 2-1 lead in the top of the inning on a three-run home run by Jessica Burlingame.

Needing two runs, the Bulldogs capitalized on a Beaver error and Oberle made them pay as she tied the game at 4-4 and sent the game into extra innings. Koehnen came to the plate in the eighth with runners on first and third and sent the first pitch she saw into orbit. The New Prague, Minn., native made her second career home run a memorable one as her teammates mobbed her at home plate.

It was the first extra innings win for UMD this season.

The long ball didn't stop after Koehnen's blast as the Bulldogs ripped off a pair of home runs to double up Bemidji State 4-2 in the rematch. Down 2-0 in the third, Bren and sophomore first baseman Jordyn Thomas went back-to-back to seize UMD a 3-2 advantage. Junior outfielder Jayme Langbehn put the Bulldogs up two with her sacrifice fly in the fifth on the only Bulldog run of the afternoon to not score via a home run.
 
Six different players have homered in the last three days including multiple bombs from Bren (homers in three straight games), Oberle and senior outfielder Kalynn Tilton.

UMD's next appearance on the diamond is in three days when it takes on No. 17 Winona State University. The Warriors are atop of the NSIC with a perfect 20-0 record after winning twice over Concordia University, St. Paul. Friday's twinbill with Winona State will begin at 1:00 p.m. in Winona, Minn.


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