GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE

BEMIDJI, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State used seven runs in game one and a 10-strikeout performance from Cortney Heim in an extra-innings game two to sweep a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader at Bemidji State Saturday afternoon.

SMSU improves to 14-13 (7-5 NSIC), while BSU drops to 7-24 (2-12 NSIC).

Meaghan Laetsch finished 2 for 4 for the Mustangs and Krista Steen registered three RBIs to lead the Mustangs to their game-one victory.

Ali Honken worked 6.0 innings to pick up the win, improving to 5-6. She allowed five hits and two runs and struckout four.

The Mustangs opened scoring in the top of the second inning, going to work with two outs. Katie Turner coaxed a walk and was quickly moved to second after Andrea Fennern laid down a textbook bunt. Meaghan Laetsch followed with a single to shallow center field to score Turner and give her squad a 1-0 lead.

SMSU sat on the one-run advantage until the fifth inning when the Mustangs used four hits to score four runs.

Laetsch led off the inning with a deep double that bounced off the center-field fence. After Britney Hallahan was hit by the first pitch she saw in the following at-bat, Dreessen proceeded to load the bases with a single to left field. Steen drove in Laetsch and Hallhan with her ensuing double, and a sac fly and Kiley Petersen single pushed in Dreessen and Steen.

Both squad were scoreless in the sixth inning.

SMSU added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh on two hits--singles from Christine Borowiak and Micki Seibring--to move ahead 7-0.

BSU would spoil Honken's brewing shutout two batters into the bottom of the seventh after Jamie Lund singled to center field to score Chelsey Cardinal. Lauren Smith finished the contest from there for SMSU. The Beavers threatened by scoring three more runs, but Smith managed to retire the Beavers to end the game.

Game two saw significantly less offense until late in the contest—thanks in large part to solid outings from both team's pitchers. The contest went to nine innings after the game was tied 0-0 after seven innings and 2-2 after eight innings.

Both hurlers went all nine innings for their teams. Heim struckout 10 in the extended game to improve to 6-6 on the season.

BSU's Kelsey Saralampi also lasted all 9.0 innings and fanned 10 batters.

In this pitcher's duel, neither team could muster a run in seven innings of play.

The Mustangs eventually broke the scoreless tie in the eighth inning. Neumann led off the inning with a hard single to left and made her way to third two batters later, in position to score the go-ahead run. A bunt from Laetsch with two outs jammed the bases for Hallahan, who answered with a two-run single to right field that put the Mustangs up 2-0. Laetsch was thrown out at home from left field on the play to end the inning.

The Beavers, however, also scored their first runs of the game in the seventh, using three hits to tie the contest at 2-2. Turner prevented the game-winning run from scoring by gunning down BSU's Kaitlin Hill from left field to close the inning and send it to the ninth.

SMSU went right to work as doubles from Dreessen and Borowiak gave the Mustangs a 3-2 lead. Borowiak added another run as she advanced from second to home on a pair of wild pitches.

Heim forced one groundout and fanned a pair of Beavers batter in the bottom of the ninth to avoid additional frames.

Dreessen finished 2 for 4 for SMSU, driving in one run. Hallhan's one hit accounted for a team-high 2 RBIs in the win.

SMSU will play at Minnesota Duluth tomorrow at 12 p.m.