The University of Minnesota Duluth softball team swept a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference opponent for a second-straight double header Tuesday, this time Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minn.

The Bulldogs – who have now posted five error free games out of their last six – defeated the Beavers 7-0 in the opening game and 7-4 in the second outing to improve to 23-10 overall and 4-4 in the NSIC.

"I liked the overall mix of our pitching staff today," said UMD head coach Lynn Anderson. "Dixie (Lauren Dixon) and Al (Allison Luoma) combined for a shutout performance in game one, and in game two, once Allyssa (Williams)settled in, she pitched lights out the final three innings and (Maddy) Walsh overall had a good performance too."

"Still have to clean some things up as a team overall and give away less freebies. Need to have that disciplined mindset that teams have to earn everything against us, so I'd like to see us dominate in the freebies department more. But one area we've been doing well with that lately is playing sound defense, anid that again today with a strong defensive performance, both infield and outfield.

We manufactured runs today and put up some crooked number innings offensively. Our offense is still coming together and I want to see us dominate in that area again later this week."

Game 1 (7-0 UMD win)

With two outs in the top of the first, the Bulldogs got singles from Kendal Jenkins, Julia Gronholz and Nicole Schmitt – the latter who hit RBIs to take a 2-0 lead in the opening inning.

That 2-0 score would hold up until the top of the 5th when Dea Deleon singled to lead off the inning and then Kiana Bender tripled to bring Deleon home to make it a 3-0 game. UMD then added three four runs in the top of the sixth when Johnson hit a triple of her own to score Noelle Krumie, and then Kat Burkhardt homered as a pinch hitter to make it a 6-0 game. Morgan McMillian grounded out to second, but not before Deleon scored to stretch UMD's lead to what would end up its final 7-0 run total.

Dixon pitched five innings and threw seven strikeouts for her win No. 12 of the season, while Luoma pitched two innings and allowed zero hits. The two combined for the Bulldogs seventh shutout game of the season. Krumie and Deleon led UMD from the plate, going 2-of-4.

Game 2 (7-4 UMD win)

BSU jumped out in front in the second game with a run in the bottom of the first, but the Bulldogs stormed back in the top of the second with four runs, again with two outs against them. Deleon doubled to score Krumie and Mohr, who had both singled earlier and advanced on a throw to make it 2-1. Bender then hammered her second home run of the season to score Deleon and give UMD a 4-1 lead.

The Beavers equalized in the bottom of the fourth inning with three runs on three hits, but again the Bulldogs responded in the top of the fifth. Burkhardt homered for a second time on the day to score Bender, who had walked earlier to make 6-4. UMD added one last run in the top of the seventh that started with a double from Johnson, who later scored on a fly out from Bender for the Bulldogs seventh run.

Walsh pitched three innings for UMD with two strikeouts, while Williams earned the win with four innings pitched. Three players had multiple hit games, including Deleon (2-of-3), Burkhardt (2-of-4) and Schmitt (2-of-4).

The Bulldogs will face Southwest Minnesota State University on Saturday in Marshall, Minn. before heading to St. Paul, Minn. to face Concordia St. Paul University.