Next game:
at Northwest Missouri State University
02/20/2023 | 10:00 AM
February 20 (Mon) / 10am
at Northwest Missouri State University
History
Topeka, Kan.- The University of Minnesota Duluth softball team bounced back with two big wins against Missouri-St. Louis and Quincy on Saturday as part of day two of the Emporia State Classic. The Bulldogs beat the Tritons 3-2 in Washburn before defeating the Hawks 5-1 at Shawnee Lake Field. The victories improve UMD’s overall record to 10-2 on the season.
It took some time for the offense to really get going in the first game against the UMSL, as both sides were still knotted at 0 going into the top of the third. Lauren Dixon had done the honor of keeping the Tritons scoreless up to that point. But it was in that third inning that the scoring of the game began, and with a bang. Kiana Bender blasted her third home run of the year to up the UMD mark. Not long after, the Bulldogs’ lead would get a little support, as Julia Gronholz hit a walk with the bases loaded to drive home Dea Deleon to leave UMD up 2-0.
That would be the end of the Bulldogs’ scoring for now, but it wouldn’t take too long to tighten things up a bit more. Another Dixon rundown attempt in the bottom of the third helped set the stage for a Kat Burkhardt three-pointer in the top of the quarter, one that scored Corrie Weise to make it 3-0.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Merfolk would unleash some fear offensively. Courtney Settles singled to drive Irene Travis home, and shortly thereafter, McKenzie Lamos came in to score on a wild pitch. Suddenly, it was 3-2, UMD’s lead dropped to just one run. But Dixon was able to escape the inning and push the game into the seventh. There’s not much offense to be said there, a formula that ultimately favored the prevailing Bulldogs. Dixon held the Tritons to one shot in the bottom of the final frame to propel UMD to a 3-2 victory.
All told, Dixon allowed just four hits and two runs in a complete game that saw her throw 135 pitches. Offensively, it was Burkhardt who led the way with three hits in four at-bats, one of which resulted in an RBI.
It was Mady Stariha’s turn at the mound for UMD in the second game of the day against Quincy, and her performance got off to the best possible start, with straight one-two-three innings. A double ended Elder’s hitless streak in the bottom of the third, but it would be the Hawks’ only hit of the inning.
And in the fourth, the Bulldogs supplemented Sariha’s huge effort with some runs. Sidney Zavoral started the celebrations with a single that got both Burkhardt and Deleon making it 2-0 UMD. Gronholz then scored a brace to make it 3-0 up for Zavoral. It’s only fitting that Gronholz will eventually score as well, the junior infielder who crossed home plate on a throwing error. In the fifth, Burkhardt hit a ground out that Bender managed to score, putting the icing on the cake of a 5-0 UMD lead.
Quincy was only able to hit Stariha once from there, a homer by Casey Brennan giving the Hawks their lone run of the night. Eventually the Bulldogs were able to seal a solid 5-1 win to finish Sunday with one win.
Stariha’s finishing stat was strong, as Elder allowed just three hits and a single run through a complete game of his own. At the plate, Zavoral made a perfect 3-3, throwing two RBI and scoring a run herself.
