The University of Minnesota Duluth was in jeopardy of losing both games in the 2019 home debut at Junction Avenue Field Saturday until the Bulldogs erased a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh and sophomore first baseman
Jordyn Thomas ended the game in the next inning with a 3-2 walk-off win over Southwest Minnesota State University to force a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference split.
The Mustangs took the frontend of the series 3-1 in UMD's first home games at Junction since April 25, 2017 -- a span of 372 days between home games at its home softball field.
The Bulldogs were 0-12 this season when trailing going to the seventh coming into today. SMSU (18-22; 13-15 NSIC) added another loss to that column in game one when Kali Thompson hit her team-leading fifth home run for the Mustangs in the sixth inning to break a 1-1 tie. UMD got the leadoff runners on in the sixth and seventh innings but starting pitcher Athena Golling grounded the Bulldogs to just one run on three hits and two walks for her 11th victory.
Senior outfielder
Sammi Sadler, junior shortstop
Lauren Oberle and freshman third baseman
Emma Frost all collected hits in the opener. Oberle singled in the second and scored the lone UMD run in the setback. Sadler had a leadoff double in the sixth extending her on-base streak to 16 games. Sadler, who had a hit in 13 of the last 16 games heading into the rematch, had her streak snapped after a 0-for-4 game two.
Luckily for the Bulldogs it wasn't the only streak that ended.
UMD headed to seventh inning down 2-0 and rallied to force extra innings. Oberle, who went 3-for-4 in game two, started the inning with a single. The Bulldogs got a break in the field as Thomas ripped a pitch to deep left field but the Mustang fielder dropped the ball allowing runners on second and third with no outs. Senior outfielder
Kalynn Tilton made SMSU pay for the costly mistake as she mashed a single back up the middle allowing Oberle and junior pitch runner
Lauren Greeder to stride in home safely. Junior starting pitcher
Breanna Swint allowed the leadoff batter a free pass in the eighth but shut down the Mustangs the next three batters. Oberle came through again in the eighth as she doubled to right center with two outs. Thomas came up and knocked in Oberle for the game winner.
The Bulldogs (29-17; 20-8) are one win away from tying the program record for most conference wins in a season. UMD now has 20 wins in NSIC play for the third time in five seasons. The 2016 club holds the record for most league wins with 21. The Bulldogs are also scheduled to get in all 30 NSIC games for just the second time since moving to the 30-game conference schedule. The last time the Bulldogs played all 30 games came back in 2015 (17-13 record that season).
Tomorrow UMD will honor its seniors to close out the regular season with a doubleheader series with the University of Sioux Falls at Junction Ave. Field. First pitch of the Senior Day double dip will begin at 12:00 p.m.
