The University of Minnesota Duluth needed a timely hit in the bottom of the seventh and Lauren Oberle delivered.

In a big way.

The junior shortstop launched a no-doubter out of the park to walk off Upper Iowa University in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament elimination game Thursday at the Rochester Youth Fastpitch Softball Complex in Rochester, Minn. The third-seeded Bulldogs nearly avoided an early exit from the double elimination postseason tournament as they battled back from a pair of late deficits to stay alive. UMD trailed 2-0 before tying it in the fifth, and 3-2 before coming back for the equalizer in the sixth. In the see-saw battle, the Peacocks had a runner on third for the potential go-ahead run in the top of the seventh but junior catcher Hannah Bloch threw a bullet to second to catch Upper Iowa stealing -- the 33rd collegiate base stealer caught by Bloch -- to end the threat.

Five minutes later, senior outfielder Sammi Sadler singled to lead off the inning and Oberle did the rest. The native of Eden Prairie, Minn., didn't waste any time at the plate in her fourth at-bat. Oberle made solid contact to the outfield in her first three at-bats but this time she decided to skip the outfield, altogether, and mash the first pitch she saw into orbit.

The game-winning knock by Oberle advanced UMD onto the next round of the loser's bracket where the Bulldogs will face Southwest Minnesota State University at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. The Mustangs, who split with UMD at Junction Avenue Field last weekend, beat Upper Iowa then lost to No. 16 Augustana in their first day of action.

It was the third walk-off home run for the Bulldogs this season after not accumulating any since April 25, 2015. Oberle, who was named an All-NSIC Second Team selection on Wednesday, picked up her 10th blast of the season and 26th overall.

Junior pitcher Breanna Swint picked up her 17th win of the season. She came in relief of starting pitcher freshman Sam Pederson. Swint tossed the final three innings, giving up a solo home run to Julia Buffington as the only damage off her. Sophomore catcher Jessica Bren, junior outfielder Jayme Langbehn, and Sadler each registered a pair of hits against the Peacocks. Bren tied the game in the fifth, scoring on a wild pitch after Oberle produced a sacrifice fly. Langbehn smacked a key RBI-double in the sixth to erase the 3-2 advantage Upper Iowa had off the home run.

UMD would score all five of its runs in the final three innings with Oberle giving the biggest lift with her two-run home run to left field to prevent any extra-innings elimination.

The Bulldogs were put in the elimination predicament after they were dropped to the bottom of the bracket after Concordia Univeristy, St. Paul narrowly won a 2-1 low-scoring affair. The Golden Bears scored a late back-breaking run in the seventh to upset UMD.

Concordia St. Paul, the sixth seed, struck first in the second inning to take an early 1-0 advantage. Amanda Parsons dribbled a single to center allowing Hannah Carlson to score the game's first run. The Bulldogs finally drew even in the fifth after coming up empty in the first four frames. Sophomore second baseman Taylor Koehnen, who was awarded the NSIC Gold Glove at her position yesterday, singled to start the inning and advanced to second on a well-placed sacrifice bunt by freshman third baseman Emma Frost. Junior pitch hitter Lexi Janigo looped a double to left -- just the Bulldogs' seventh pitch hit of the season -- to knot the game as Koehnen came racing home. However, Cam Veenbaas hit a two-out homer in the seventh that just stayed fair and was just long enough to get out. The Bulldogs went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning and the Golden Bears, who have won 11 straight, escaped with the victory in the fifth one-run game between the two squads this season.