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MSU softball rebounds, earns split against U-Mary in NSIC opener

Justin Martinez/MDN MSU freshman Zoya Robbins (middle) does her handshake with freshman catcher Alina Gonzalez (left) during the Beavers’ 12-0 win over the University of Mary on Tuesday at the Air-Supported Dome on the Minot State campus.

Down but not out, the Beavers made sure to get the last laugh.

The Minot State softball team (12-7, 1-1 NSIC) left no doubt on Tuesday in its doubleheader against the University of Mary (10-12, 1-1 NSIC) within the cushioned walls of the Air-Supported Dome on the Minot State campus. After a late collapse in the opening game, losing 11-5, the Beavers came back even stronger the second time around and earned a convincing 12-0 victory to force a split in their NSIC opener.

“Our first game, we just had too many errors,” MSU head coach Dave Kivett said. “U-Mary capitalized on them, and that was the difference. Second game, all we did was challenge our kids to let that (loss) go and play how we’re expected to play. They did that.”

The Beavers were in the driver’s seat down the stretch of Tuesday’s opening game, as they held a 5-4 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning.

But that’s when the Marauders made their move.

Haley Berube did the honors with a two-run bomb off a pitch from senior Laura Mendez that soared over the left-field fence and gave the road team the 6-5 lead. Senior Kylie Patrick and freshman Zoya Robbins each took to the mound in relief, but U-Mary still added another five runs to its total in what was a seven-run inning.

The late deficit proved to be too much for MSU to overcome, as the Marauders held on and claimed the first win of the day with an 11-5 victory.

“Our pitching was just a little off in the first game,” Robbins said. “But we all took full responsibility for that… We just knew we had to bounce back in the second game.”

Undeterred, MSU came out swinging to start the second game.

After jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead at the end of the first inning, the Beavers piled it on even more in the second inning.

Freshman Jamie Odlum made it a 4-0 affair with an RBI single to right field, and junior Karlee Coughlin upped the ante on the next at-bat with a single that zipped past U-Mary’s third baseman and brought home a pair of Beavers.

MSU added another two runs in what proved to be a five-run inning thanks to a pair of RBI singles from junior Julia Suchan and freshman Randi Wright to give the Beavers a commanding 8-0 advantage.

Now, with an eight-run safety net below her, Robbins went to work on the mound.

“I wasn’t worried at all,” Robbins said. “The stress goes way down…Even when the other team gets a couple of hits, I’m relaxed because I have eight runs behind me and I have eight people behind me that are playing for me.”

Robbins allowed just one hit the rest of the way, as MSU’s offense tacked on another four runs and forced a mercy rule after the fifth inning for the dominant 12-0 victory.

Coughlin went 3-for-4 at the plate and tallied five RBIs to go along with her two runs, while Suchan and Wright each had two RBIs on 2-for-4 hitting.

MSU will look to carry its momentum into the weekend, as it’s scheduled to host Concordia St-Paul on Saturday for a doubleheader. The games are set for noon and 2 p.m.

“We’re challenging the kids to do exactly what they did in that second game,” Kivett said. “We need to try and get some runs on the board early, help out our pitcher and see if we can get some breathing room.”

Justin Martinez covers Minot High School sports and Class B high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @JTheSportsDude.

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