Duluth, Minn.- The University of Minnesota Duluth softball team maintained its undefeated record at Malosky this season with two wins against Minnesota Crookston on Wednesday, defeating the Golden Eagles 6-4 before securing a 6-0 shutout in game two. These two wins combined with a split from Augustana in its two games against Southwest Minnesota State once again leave UMD and Augie at a tie for the top spot in the NSIC with 20-4 conference marks. The Bulldogs are 34-9 overall, a winning percentage of 79.1%.

The home setting meant it was Lauren Dixon's job to set the tone for the Bulldogs in this one- and she did a pretty convincing job. After letting up a single in the first at-bat of the game, the junior forced a liner and a strikeout that combined with a pickoff at second base to send UMD up to bat. The Bulldogs wouldn't put any runs on the board that time around, but after another one-hit inning from Dixon, they'd find a little more success in attempt number two. Hey, they all count the same- after UMD juiced the bases, it was Kiana Bender getting hit by a pitch that sent the Bulldogs' first run of the day home in the form of Julia Gronholz. 

But the third inning belonged to the Golden Eagles.

All of UMC's first four batters made it on base in one way or another, a sequence capped off by a Whitnee Curry single that drove in two runs to make it 2-1 Golden Eagles. A ground-out in the next at-bat brought another UMC player in to score. It was an effort capped off in style with a triple from Shaelyn Grant that scored another Golden Eagle to make it 4-1. The Bulldogs would be able to put a run on the board themselves in the bottom of the frame when a fielder's choice scenario brought Sidney Zavoral home, but they still ended the fourth down a pair of runs at 4-2 UMC. 

In a situation like this, it sure is nice to have a pitcher like Dixon in the circle for you.

The junior made quick work of her fourth-inning slate with a flyout and two ground-outs. UMD's bats would threaten in the bottom of the frame, landing two runners on base, but no runs would score. No worries- the top of the fifth was a similar story from Dixon. Pop-up, ground-out, strikeout. And so the trend (mostly) continued in the sixth. The Golden Eagles would land a runner on by way of a walk, but this was washed out by outs on the other three batters faced in the inning. 

Thus, the scene was set for UMD's offense in the bottom of the sixth. Down two, this would be one of just two more chances the Bulldogs would have to eliminate their deficit- and they sure played accordingly. After Elle Potts singled to open the frame, pinch runner Ava Johnson's crafty work helped her steal second base. So when Nicole Schmitt ended up doubling, Johnson was in a perfect position to score, making it 4-3 UMC. It was a productive day for pinch players, as substitute hitter Cora Meier would not only land a single in her first at-bat of the game but steal second herself right afterwards. With Meier on second and Schmitt on third, it was Bender's turn at the dish. The junior's been something of a multi-base hit machine recently, and the gears sure weren't jammed here. Bender's 13th double of the season drove in both UMD baserunners to re-establish a Bulldog lead at 5-4. And how about a little insurance? That's what UMD would get when Kendal Jenkins hit a single to complete Bender's trip around the bases, making it 6-4 Bulldogs.

Dixon opened things on a positive note for UMD- now she had to close the game out in the same fashion. The Golden Eagles would make things interesting, drawing two walks to theoretically put the leading run at the plate with only one out on the board. Next at-bat: flyout. The one after that? Strikeout. UMD wins 6-4.

Dixon was stout in the circle for the Bulldogs in what was a complete seven-inning effort. The NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year and three-time NSIC Pitcher of the Week allowed five hits, four runs and five walks compared to six strikeouts. At the plate, Bender was a real standout. The junior infielder went 2-3 with a run and two RBIs.

New face on the mound, similar start for UMD in game two. Mady Stariha followed a two-hit first frame with a 1-2-3 effort in inning number two. Another commonality between the day's contests- UMD once again used the bottom of the second to break the scoring seal. The Bulldogs went about things a little bit differently this time around, though. A steady loading of the bases was traded in for a little bit of power hitting from the bat of Kat Burkhardt, whose solo homer made it 1-0.

Fortunately for UMD, the top of the third is where this game really started to blaze its own path. Despite one hit-by-pitch hiccup, Stariha was stellar once again, securing outs on the three other batters she faced. In fact, it appeared as if the Bulldogs may have a big inning of their own instead. Albeit with two outs on the board, UMD was able to load the bases. Ultimately though, this wouldn't translate into more runs. 

The same couldn't be said for the fourth. After another 1-2-3 outing from Stariha, Potts eventually found herself at the dish. Two outs, no problem- the junior infielder smashed her fifth homer of the season out to left-center field to double UMD's lead to 2-0. It was a fresh lead that'd ultimately find a new Pitcher looking to protect it in Allyssa Williams, who came in in relief of Stariha to start the fifth. The freshman sure made a pretty strong first impression in this one. After giving up a single, Williams sandwiched a fielder's choice out with two K's to put UMD back to the plate. There, a Tori Wietgrefe single scored Dea Deleon to make it 3-0 Bulldogs.

Pitching is important, but in the top of the sixth, the rest of the UMD defense stole the show. After a single and a flyout, work from Bender, Gronholz and Schmitt helped the Bulldogs connect on a 6-4-3 double play to send them into the bottom of the sixth. It's true that this game started to differentiate itself in the third inning, but in the case of this sixth frame… well, things started to feel pretty familiar. From a pure offensive output standpoint, at least. What better way to kick things off than with another moonshot? Speaking of deja vu… Burkhardt's second homer of the game was another solo shot to push the score to 4-0 UMD. From there, the Bulldogs just kept doing good work. With two outs already tallied, Morgan McMillan made contact on a double that brought in Johnson to make that 5-0. Bender made sure that UMD wasn't done just yet, her single sending McMillan home to finally leave things at 6-0. 

Three more outs would spell sure victory for the Bulldogs, and Williams was left in to get the job done. Good call- strikeout, flyout, line-out. Make it a 6-0 victory and a third-consecutive home series sweep. 

What a second game it was for Burkhardt, who went 2-3 from the plate with two homers while adding two runs and two RBIs to her statline. Potts was also impressive, her home run part of a 2-3 effort that included a run and an RBI. At the hill, a dynamic duo helped guide UMD to victory. Stariha threw four scoreless frames, giving up just two hits and no walks in the process. Williams was just as impressive in relief, working three shutout innings while posting the same exact stat line of two hits and zero walks allowed.
 

ANSWERS FROM ANDERSON

Given some of the final scores this team is able to create, it'd be easy to think of UMD as nothing but pure world-beaters, incapable of trailing or doing basically anything other than scoring runs at every turn. And hey, oftentimes, they are.

But to describe the Bulldogs like that would be to miss the bigger picture. Yes, UMD can win in blowout fashion- don't need us to tell you that. The thing is, though… they can win the close ones, too. Heck, they can even come from behind, something the first game against the Golden Eagles is evidence of. 

According to UMD head coach Lynn Anderson, this capability is the product of a mindset that actually tries to steer away from "big picture" talk at all. 

"That's just the kind of team we have and I love it," Anderson said. "We find ways to win. It goes back to taking one game at a time."

We've reached a point in the season where there aren't all that many game ones left at all. This poses no challenge to a team that stays in the moment, of course, but it is the truth.

And that's always something that can add a little bit of extra intensity or emotion, regardless of anything else. Add in a dead-heat playoff race to the mix, and there could be even more cause for heightened nerves. When you're a team that's right in competition for a regular season conference title? Forget about it.

Just because there could be grounds for a perspective change doesn't mean there has to be one, though. In fact, Anderson lends credit to her team's ability to avoid that route at all as being a part of its continued success. That, and some well-earned optimism. 

"No game is any bigger than any other," Anderson said. "Keeping that neutral mindset helps. And I guess I just have that feeling that good things are happening and are going to happen for us here. A calm but determined feel, I suppose."

UP NEXT

Regardless of what will happen down the stretch of the regular season, it's going to happen in Duluth. Both of the Bulldogs' last two doubleheaders are set to take place at Malosky. It starts with Wayne State on Saturday, April 29 as part of Green Bandana Day. First pitch times are slated for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. This next one's a doozy: Augustana on Sunday, April 30. On Senior Day, no less. Games against the Vikings are marked for 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. starts.