Junior catcher
Kendal Jenkins posted a career day in the University of Minnesota Duluth's home opener Friday afternoon, smashing three home runs against Winona State University. Jenkins notched a pair of home runs in the first game and added another in the rematch as the Warriors won the first two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games by scores of 8-6 and 13-2 in six innings.
The Bulldogs (20-10 overall, 0-2 NSIC) had their historical day spoiled. UMD played in its earliest home series in program history today, breaking a pair of home double headers that were both played on March 24. St. Cloud State University visited Duluth, Minn., in 2015 and Minnesota State University, Mankato played the Bulldogs just down the hill at Ordean East Middle School in 2012.
Jenkins became the first Bulldog to homer three times in a day since Jordyn Thomas accomplished that very feat on March 7, 2021 against Northwest Missouri State University and Pittsburg State University. Jenkins already set a new single-season mark in homers this season with her three-bomb performance. The Hastings, Minn., native has four home runs this season, overtaking her freshman total of three in 2023, and is one shy of hitting the double-digit home-run milestone in her career.
The Bulldogs battled back from a 4-0 deficit in the NSIC and home opener. Senior infielder
Nicole Schmitt wasn't going to be outdone by her teammate as she launched her team-leading 10th homer to cut the lead in half. Jenkins homered the following at-bat to cut the Winona lead to 4-3. The Warriors extended the lead to 5-3 before Jenkins tied the game on her second long bomb, a two-run shot to straight-away left. A few batters later, sophomore outfielder
Sierra Thomas put UMD ahead in the bottom of sixth on a single to center. However, a pair of errors led to three unearned runs and allowed Winona State to snatch the opener.
The Warriors (21-6, 2-0 NSIC) posted season-high offensive marks in the second game as the 13 runs and 15 hits were the most UMD has given up this season. Winona State cracked eight of those first 13 runs in the top of the first inning to put the Bulldogs in a deep hole. Jenkins homered in the second and Schmitt had a RBI single in the fourth but UMD was finished off with four runs in the sixth. Sophomore pitcher
Maddy Walsh (5-1) took her first loss of the season while striking out eight Warriors for a new career high.
The Bulldogs return for another NSIC doubleheader with Bemidji State University paying a visit on Wednesday. That midweek double dip will begin at 12 p.m.
