Trail. Monster inning. Comeback victory.

Rinse and repeat.

The University of Minnesota Duluth softball team fell behind early twice on Saturday at the Minnesota State University Invitational Softball Tournament but ferociously battled back to post a pair of victories at the Maverick All-Sports Dome, in Mankato, Minn.

The Bulldogs used a four-run burst to down Concordia University, St. Paul – for the second consecutive day – 4-2 and bombarded Minnesota State University, Mankato with seven runs to upend the Mavericks 9-5 in non-conference action. UMD, which split with the two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference opponents yesterday, capped off the tournament going 3-1. It has registered wins in six of its first eight contests to begin the 2025 season.

In a 2-0 deficit against Concordia-St. Paul (1-3), the Bulldogs marched back to win for the first time this season when trailing. 

Junior center fielder Morgan McMillan erased the shutout bid in the bottom of the fifth with a ground-rule double, extending her hitting streak, and senior second baseman Nicole Schmitt drew a five-pitch walk with the bases juiced to crawl back to tie the game. Junior catcher Kendal Jenkins punched the Bulldogs ahead on the next at-bat with a bloop single right over the head of the second baseman. After a force out at home, sophomore third baseman Khendal Johnson walked with the bases loaded again to extend the lead to two. 

All-in-all, it was a four-run, three-hit inning that leapfrogged UMD in front and gave the needed run support for junior pitcher Allyssa Williams to log her second victory of the season. She struck out seven batters, one shy of tying her career-high.

Williams got the nod in the circle for her second start of the 2025 season. The Yuba City, Calif., native scattered eight hits giving up just one run each in the third and the fourth frames in 5.1 innings. Senior pitcher Allison Luoma came in and locked down the first save situation of the year. The Iron River, Wis., native corralled the Golden Bears for the final five outs including a 1-2-3 seventh. 

UMD mustered six hits in total with McMillan collecting a team-high two hits including a double against CSP. The Bulldogs also walked seven times with Schmitt and Johnson leading the team with a pair of free passes each. As a team, they have now drawn at least seven walks in four different games – half of the games – this season.

The Mavericks (2-2) jumped to a 5-2 lead after originally trailing. The three-run fourth inning put UMD behind the eight ball, but like it did against the Golden Bears, it rallied with an offensive barrage. Fourteen hits and three home runs, both season-high marks, and five doubles helped propel the Bulldogs to a timely answer. One day after placing a season-high six runs in a single inning, the offense surpassed the mark to the tune of a seven-run fifth-inning to regain the advantage. UMD batted around the order and brought 11 batters up including quite the response from the reigning NSIC Player of the Week.

Schmitt knotted the game at 5-all on her second home run of the game. She went yard in the opening inning – a two-run shot as well – as she wasn't the only Bulldog to homer in the onslaught. 

Johnson pushed the Bulldogs into the lead with her two-run double in the left-center gap and sophomore designated player Billi Connell punctuated the inning with her first collegiate home run. Connell capitalized on an errant pitch over the heart of the plate, which she sent sailing over the fence to give UMD a four-run cushion.

Five Bulldogs – Connell, Schmitt, sophomore first baseman Serena Timmer, K. Jenkins and freshman right fielder Lauren Jenkins – each compiled two hits. McMillan doubled for the second straight outing, pushing her hitting streak to eight-straight.

Luoma grabbed the victory as the University of Wisconsin-Superior transfer finished off the final 3.1 innings, netting her third victory (3-0) of the year allowing just two base runners.

The Bulldogs continue non-conference action after a 12-day break with the Lewis Dome Invitational hosted by Lewis University in Rosemount, Ill. They will play six different regional opponents in a three-day span starting Thursday, Feb. 20.