BOX SCORE: Game 1 | Game 2

MARSHALL, Minn. - A pair of pitching gems by Rachel Hoeppner and Alex O'Connor led Southwest Minnesota State to a sweep of Bemidji State in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action. Rachel Hoeppner hurled a one-hit shutout in game one of the twinbill to lead SMSU to a 3-0 win and O'Connor tossed a career-high 12 strikeouts in SMSU's 2-1 win in game two.

Game 1 | SMSU 3-0
SMSU put runners in scoring position in every inning but the sixth and ended the game with nine hits but left 13 runners on base.

SMSU would get a pair of walks in the first and would work the runners over to second and third with two outs for Kaley Hanson, but Hanson grounded out to short to leave her team scoreless.The Mustangs would get runners to second and third again in the very next inning and this time it was Alysse Luttmann who grounded out to end the inning.

The Mustangs made it three straight innings in which they moved a runner to third base and failed to score a run. Chelsey Rodenkirch led off the inning with an infield single and was moved to third on a groundout and a fielding error. Rodenkirch was stranded as a strikeout and a groundout ended the threat.

SMSU crossed two in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead with Shelbie Stoll and Elissa Reinsma scoring in the inning. Stoll and Reinsma scored on the same play as both runners successfully completed a double steal and Courtney O'Connor's attempt to throw Stoll out at third sailed to the outfield and both runners scampered home.

SMSU loaded the bases in the fifth and Reinsma hit a sacrifice fly to right for her fourth RBI of the year that put SMSU up 3-0.SMSU went down quickly and quietly on just six pitches in the sixth inning marking the first inning in the game where the Mustangs didn't get a runner or a runner to third. SMSU loaded the bases in the seventh but couldn't bring around an insurance run, but Hoeppner didn't need it as she set down the Beavers in order in the seventh.

Hoeppner, who allowed just one hit in the game, faced the minimum 21 batters as her defense rolled a 6-4-3 following BSU's lone single in the fifth. Hoeppner (5-10) struck out eight and issued no walks and gave up the one infield single to Megan Bergeson en route to her first complete-game shutout of the season.

Game 2 | SMSU 2-1
The Beavers struck first with a run in the first on a RBI single by Lyndsey Peterson. BSU led off the inning with a Bergeson walk issued by SMSU starting pitcher Alex O'Connor. Bergeson moved to third two batters later as Danielle Jecman roped a double to deep centerfield. Bergeson scored on Peterson's single in the next at-bat.

Emily Olson tied the score in the top of the third with a big two-out RBI single to centerfield that scored Scearcy from second. The RBI single was Olson's second run-batted-in on the season.

SMSU took the lead in the sixth when Kasey Eichten and Alysse Luttmann hit back-to-back doubles. The lead would stand as O'Connor retired the Beavers in the last of the seventh to secure her fourth win of the season.

O'Connor struck out a career-high 12 batters in the win. The 12 strikeouts are the most by a Mustang pitcher in a game this season.  

The Mustangs will be at home again tomorrow afternoon when the Mustangs take on The University of Minnesota Crookston at 12 and 2 p.m. at Mustang Field.