Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Southwest Minnesota State had its 2017 season come to an end after suffering a 3-1 loss to Minot State and a 4-1 loss to Bemidji State on day one of the NSIC Tournament.

Game 1 Recap
No. 9 seed Minot State scored two first inning runs and used strong pitching from Jenn Spencer to earn a 3-1 victory over No. 8 seed Southwest Minnesota State in the first round of the NSIC Softball Tournament at Bowden Field on the campus of Augustana University.
 
SMSU, 23-22 overall, drops to the loser's bracket and will play at 4 p.m. today at Sherman Park versus the loser of No. 3 Augustana and No. 6 Bemidji State.
 
Minot State, 24-20 overall, opened the game's scoring with a pair of run-scoring singles in the first inning to build a 2-0 lead. 
 
The Beavers nearly added to the lead in the second, loading the bases with one out, but Mustang starting pitcher Alex O'Connor coaxed a pair of ground outs to keep the score 2-0.
 
Spencer was in control for most of the game, including retiring 11 straight SMSU batters from the end of the first inning until one out in the fifth.
 
MISU picked up a big insurance run in the seventh to push the lead to 3-0.
 
SMSU mounted a rally in the seventh with Karman Carroll starting the inning with a lead-off single. Carroll moved up to second following a ground out and then came around to score on an RBI single by Sam Flack. The game ended moments later on a line-drive double play.
 
Spencer earned the win in the circle for the Beavers, firing a complete game five-hitter.
 
O'Conner (12-10) suffered the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) on eight hits with five strikeouts and three walks.
 
Carroll led SMSU's five-hit attack finishing 2 for 3, while Flack, Mackensie Clouse and Taylor Koloc each collected one hit.

Game 2 Recap
Southwest Minnesota State and Bemidji State were deadlocked in a tight pitching dual when SMSU took the lead with a single run in the fifth, but the Beavers came back with two runs in the bottom of both the fifth and sixth innings to earn a 4-1 win to advance to day two of the NSIC Tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D.

SMSU, 23-23, finishes the season .500 or better for the first time under head coach, Jamie Dunn, and the first time since 2012. Bemidji State, 25-18, advances to day two where it will play Sioux Falls on Friday morning.

Alex O'Connor suffered the loss despite holding the Beavers to just two hits through the game's first four innings and allowed just two earned runs in the game. Jessica Yost allowed just a single run from the Mustangs' as Bemidji State gave up just two hits in the entire game.

Yost set the tone early as she struck out the first three batters of the day from SMSU in the top of the first which was answered by a 1-2-3 inning for Alex O'Connor in the bottom half.

The Mustangs were held hitless through the first four innings before taking the lead on two hits in the top of the fifth inning. Sam Flack led the inning off with a single and came around to score following back-to-back bunts that included a sacrifice bunt from Mackenzie Clouse and an RBI bunt single from Kaylee Hentges.

SMSU gave up two runners in the bottom of the fifth to fielding errors but were just one out from escaping the inning with its one-run lead intact when Bemidji State found a two RBI double to right center to take the lead with two unearned runs.

SMSU went three up and three down in the top of the sixth inning and Bemidji State came back with two more runs on four hits in the bottom half. The Beavers had two doubles and two infield singles to give themselves a three-run cushion going into the seventh inning.

With a complete game win in sight, Yost struck out the final three batters of the day to help the Beavers advance after losing to SMSU, 4-2 on day two of last season's NSIC Tournament.