Marshall, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Duluth softball team battled for a series split on the road against Southwest Minnesota State on Monday, defeating the Mustangs 9-1 in game one before losing a to-the-wire second game 3-2. This leaves the Bulldogs with an 18-4 NSIC mark that slots them just a game behind 19-3 Augustana for the conference lead. UMD's overall record on the season is now 32-9. 

By now, it's a tried and true formula. 

Kick things off with some strong work from Lauren Dixon, who held the Mustangs to two walks across the first two innings. And when the Bulldog bats finally got going in the top of the third, they did so with some power. Who else would it be but Kiana Bender. Fresh off of a game two performance against Sioux Falls that saw her land two doubles, the junior infielder upped the ante, smacking an RBI triple that brought home Nicole Schmitt to make it 1-0. 

Another inning, another shutout for Dixon, who scored outs on all three batters faced in the bottom of the third frame. The Bulldogs then used their new opportunity at the plate as a chance to tack on to their lead. Though she ended up being out at first, good contact from Burkhardt was enough to send Kendal Jenkins in to score to make it 2-0. Next, yet another multi-base hit, this one off the bat of Julia Gronholz to send Sidney Zavoral home to leave the score at 3-0. An Elle Potts single that drove in Gronholz proved to be the end of the three-run inning's festivities, leaving the game at 4-0.

The Mustangs would finally break through in the bottom of the fourth- with a hit, at least. Abby Russell doubled to end the drought, but it wouldn't end up leading to much on the scoresheet. Dixon followed that up with two-consecutive strikeouts enough to get the Bulldogs out of the inning. The junior pitcher got right back to her hitless ways in the fifth frame, going 3-3 on outs to push us into the sixth.

And what a sixth it'd be for the Bulldogs, who went out and left little doubt as to who deserved the win in this one. It was Schmitt that landed UMD its third double of the game to score Gronholz and make it 5-0. Then, contact at the plate from Dea Deleon paired with a Mustang fielding error got Potts home to up it to 6-0. With an already sizable advantage in-hand, Bender stepped up to the bag. First doubles, then a triple… why not continue the climb? A huge three-run homer from the red-hot hitter scored Deleon and Schmitt to make it 9-0 UMD. 

 That meant that all Dixon and company needed to do in the bottom of the sixth was keep the Mustangs from rallying off two runs to end this one an inning early on the run-rule. SMSU would make things interesting, Molly Bull landing an RBI single with two outs on the board to make it 9-1. But Dixon would respond in the only way she knows how to: with a strikeout. Thus, UMD sealed the deal on a 9-1 win.

A sentence heard a lot so far this season: Dixon was exceptional. The three-time NSIC Pitcher of the Week added to her resume towards a potential fourth win, allowing just a run, three hits and two walks while tallying eight strikeouts in a complete six innings of work. At the plate, a committee of Bulldogs stepped up with big performances. Both Potts and Schmitt went 2-3 with an RBI, Schmitt landing two runs with Potts earning a run of her own. But the MVP was Bender, whose 2-4 effort consisted of a triple and a homer that saw her amass four RBIs to go with a run.

At least from an offensive perspective, game two ended up following a much different recipe. It was the Mustangs that got on the board first, for example. A Bull single combined with an error after Katie Palmer hit the ball in play landed SMSU two runs in the bottom of the first. But from that moment on, Mady Stariha was about as sharp as could be for the Bulldogs, something more reminiscent of the day's first contest. Just one Mustang landed on base in the bottom of the second, as can be said with the third frame. SMSU did put UMD in a bit of a jam in the fourth, loading the bases with only one out on the board. But with her back against the wall, Stariha simply put her head down and got to work. The result? Two-straight strikeouts to pull the Bulldogs out of the rut and send this one into the fifth.

It's there that UMD was first able to click offensively in game two. A double from multi-base specialist Bender came just at the right time to score Schmitt and trim the Bulldog deficit down to one at 2-1. Stariha wheeled and dealed once more in the bottom of the frame, pairing a foul out with two more strikeouts to put UMD up to bat in the top of the sixth. Once again down to their last out, the Bulldogs pulled through. Contact by Gronholz coupled with an error at third sent pinch-runner Ava Johnson in to score all the way from second base to even the game up at 2 apiece. Just like that, UMD was right back in the thick of things.

It helped that Stariha continued to sit batters down in the sixth, as only one Mustang reached the bases once again. UMD would then threaten in the top of the seventh, landing runners on first and second with only one out. But SMSU's Karlie Miller rose to the occasion, recording two consecutive K's to send her team up to bat one last time in regulation. With the Mustangs down to their final out before extras, Palmer would deliver, her single driving in a walk-off run to land SMSU a 3-2 win in game two.

Both pitchers deserve praise in this one, as the mound was graced with two complete-game efforts. Stariha went 6.2 innings, allowing only one earned run, five hits and three walks while collecting five strikeouts. Miller's seven-inning affair saw her allow just one earned run herself (along with five hits and two walks) compared to 10 total strikeouts.

ANSWERS FROM ANDERSON
In looking for a starting point for discussion about the day's games, a good bet is Bender.

It'd be one thing if the junior's hitting barrage in game one was just an isolated incident. Her two doubles in a single contest back on Sunday sure make it seem like this is all indicative of something more, though- something UMD head coach Lynn Anderson felt was inevitable with the right effort. 

"Kiana's had a bit of a cold bat lately, but we knew it'd come back at some point," Anderson said. "She's too good of a hitter for it not to. A lot of it was just timing. Sometimes when a batter isn't getting on base, they start forcing swings and end up getting out front too early and swinging outside the zone instead of staying disciplined. So she's worked on it and made the adjustment to where she's back on time- which is huge to get our leadoff batter's bat back."

But Bender's big week extended beyond just her work at the plate, important as it was. 

The same can be said for the team at large, really. While the Bulldogs' capability to score runs in bunches is obviously a pivotal part of a score like 9-1, defense is what's able to keep the number of the right side of that equation so low. Anderson took note of that effort.

"(Kiana's) made some big plays in the field this weekend, as has our entire infield," Anderson said. "Overall they've taken care of the ball well."

It sure is important to reiterate, though, that this is a unit that is universally capable of swinging the bat at a high level. It showed this weekend, and it's shown all year. It's been a crucial piece to the 32-9 record puzzle for the Bulldogs to this point. The scariest part of it all though is that Anderson feels- knows, really- that this group is capable of scoring even more. It's something that was in her mind after the split against the Mustangs.

"I'd actually like to see us to be more consistent through 14 innings to keep passing the bats and compete at the plate more," Anderson said. "We can do it. We did the first game today but then didn't have the stellar approaches at the plate in game two that we've taken time to mentally rep. But game one plus yesterday's games show that we can put up crooked numbers in a hurry as well as chip away by manufacturing runs. I know we have a confident offense- that's key, and that kind of offensive production is great as we head into the final week of regular season and into postseason."

Speaking of the home stretch of the season… Fun fact: UMD's set to play Augustana in doubleheader fashion later this week. And they get to do it in Duluth. It'll be the last of a three-series staycation for the Bulldogs to close out the year- at least until the postseason, that is. 

Sports are games of adversity, really in an unquantifiable number of ways. But there exists perhaps no more frustrating a duel than the one some teams have to try to wage against Mother Nature herself. It's a fight that's outright eliminated several would-be home games for the Bulldogs this year and at the very least caused schedule shuffling for the four that remained. Speaking of that, update: UMD's doubleheader against Minnesota Crookston that was set for Tuesday, April 25 has been pushed back to Wednesday, April 26. First pitch times are set for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Needless to say, if there's any team that deserves some sustained home cooking, it's the Bulldogs. For the stars to align for their first real sustained home stint of the year to happen at a time like this… well, let's let Anderson take it from here.

"To be in this position to compete for a regular season championship-we've earned it," Anderson said. "And I'm proud of our team for getting to this point together. We're not done yet. We're ready and prepared for this stretch ahead and being at home helps give our team that extra energy. Despite the potential weather, we're hoping to see lots of loyal UMD fans in the stands these next six home games to raise the energy as we proudly compete for Bulldog Country."

We've seen how special it is to do big things in front of big home crowds quite a lot at UMD this year- why not do it again?