The University of Minnesota Duluth softball program closed out its regular season road schedule today with a trip to Southwest Minnesota State University. After dropping the first game 8-0 in five innings, UMD would make a last-chance comeback attempt in the second game that would ultimately fall short as the Bulldogs lost 4-3.

Game 1:
A second inning frenzy of six runs on six hits from the SMSU Mustangs would prove too much for the Bulldogs to overcome in today's first game. Southwest Minnesota State would add another two runs in the fourth inning to push the score to 8-0 -- the final score after five innings.

Lauren Oberle, Jessica Bren, and Kiana Bender would each record a hit for the Bulldogs in the game. Lauren Dixon would get the start in the circle for UMD today, with Corrie Weise coming in as the relief pitcher in the third inning. Dixon would face 15 batters and strike out one in 2.0 innings pitched; Weise would face eight batters and strike out two, also pitching 2.0 innings.

Game 2:
It would be heartbreak in extra innings in today's second game -- Lauren Oberle tied the game in the last at-bat of the seventh inning, but Southwest Minnesota State would get the win in the eighth inning with an unearned run to win the game 4-3.

Southwest Minnesota State would again score first in the second game, getting a run in the second inning.

The Mustangs would get a solo homerun in the third inning to double their lead to 2-0. SMSU would add another run in the fourth inning to make it 3-0 but pitcher Sam Pederson would shut the Mustangs down so they were unable to capitalize on their loaded bases.

Jessica Bren, Sidney Zavoral, Emma Frost, and Lauren Oberle would all record at least one hit for the Bulldogs, but UMD would remain scoreless until the sixth inning when Jordyn Thomas hit a sac fly RBI that sent Makenna Burslie -- pinch running for Sidney Zavoral --  past home to score the unearned run which would be the Bulldogs' first run of the day. 

Sam Pederson would keep the game close -- not allowing a single hit in the bottom of the sixth. Emma Frost would get her second hit of the game in the seventh inning before Elle Potts, pinch hitting for Kelly Swank, would double to right field. 

In the bottom of the seventh inning, with two outs and the bases loaded, Lauren Oberle would tie the game up for the Bulldogs, singling to right field for the RBI double, scoring Kat Burkhardt and Julia Gronholz. The Bulldogs would be unable to send anyone else past home, and the Mustangs would get two hits but no runs in the bottom of the seventh and the game would go into extra innings.

Jordyn Thomas would get a hit in the top of the eighth, but the score would remain locked at 3-3 before the Mustangs would score an unearned run to pull ahead for the 4-3 win.

Sam Pederson, now 9-5 this season, pitched 7.2 innings, faced 38 batters, and struck out six.

UMD is now 27-13 (.675) overall this season and 17-9 (.654) in the NSIC. The Bulldogs will return home next weekend for the last series of the regular season. UMD will host Northern State University on Saturday afternoon for a doubleheader beginning at 1:00pm before welcoming MSU-Moorhead to campus on Sunday. Sunday's first pitch is scheduled for 12:00pm. For the full 2021 season schedule, click here.