GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE

MARSHALL, Minn. – Chelsey Evans picked up two victories in relief to lead Southwest Minnesota State to a NSIC doubleheader sweep over Minnesota, Crookston on Friday afternoon in Marshall.

SMSU (17-10, 5-2 NSIC won the opener 7-1 and completed the sweep with a 7-3 victory in game two. SMSU is ranked No. 7 in this week's NCAA Central Region rankings.

The twinbill was originally scheduled to be played in Crookston on Saturday, but was moved due to poor field conditions.

Evans tossed 3.1 innings of shutout relief in game one, allowing just two hits, while striking out six UMC (7-13, 1-5 NSIC) batters.

Ashley Gigax finished 2 for 3 with two runs scored and a career-high three RBIs to lead the Mustang offense, while Christine Borowiak and Krista Steen both added two hits. Borowiak and Katie Turner both scored two runs apiece.

SMSU opened a scoreless game in the fourth inning as Borowiak singled with two outs, stole second and came around to score on a run-scoring single by Steen.

UMC tied the game in the bottom of the fourth, before SMSU regained the lead with a pair of runs in the fifth. Gigax gave SMSU the lead with an RBI single scoring Turner, before Micki Seibring doubled down the left field line to make the score 3-1.

The Mustangs put the game away in the sixth as Gigax blasted a two-run triple and later scored on a throwing error by the UMC shortstop to make the score 6-1. Borowiak tripled and scored in the seventh for SMSU's final run.

Lauren Smith started in the circle for SMSU and pitched the first 3.2 innings, allowing five hits and one earned run.

In game two, Ali Honken started for SMSU and tossed three shutout innings, allowing three hits with three strikeouts, before giving way to Evans. Evans closed out the game allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits in four innings. She struck out six UMC batters and walked one to improve her record to 4-2 on the season.

Kaley Scearcy and Kristin Braden each had two hits to pace the SMSU offense, while Steen and Seibring collected two RBIs each.

Similar to game one, SMSU snapped a scoreless tie in the fourth as Steen blasted a two-run homer over the left field wall to give SMSU a 2-0 lead and start a six-run inning. Amy Dreessen scored on a throwing error to make it 3-0, before Seibring drilled a two-run triple to right-center and came around to score on the play on a throwing error by UMC to push the margin to 6-0.

UMC trimmed the deficit to 6-3 after five innings, before SMSU added an insurance run in the sixth on an RBI bunt single by Kris Penick.

SMSU continues its homestand tomorrow with a 12 p.m. doubleheader versus MSU Moorhead at Mustang Field.