ROCHESTER, Minn. — How quickly things can change. The Minot State softball team jumped out to modest leads in both NSIC Tournament games it played Thursday in Rochester, Minnesota.

It didn’t matter. The end result was the same.

The No. 7-seeded Beavers were bounced from the conference tournament on Day 1 with a pair of losses against No. 10-seeded Sioux Falls, 9-7 in eight innings, and No. 4-seeded St. Cloud State, 14-5 in five innings.

This marks the second straight postseason that the Beavers have ended their season with an 0-2 performance at the NSIC Tournament.

Game 1: Sioux Falls 9, Minot State 7

MSU raced out to a 3-0 lead after the first inning because of an RBI sacrifice fly from Jamie Odlum and a two-run single by Zoya Robbins.

Five runs in the third inning put the Cougars up 6-3. But, a pair of two-run homers by Robbins and Karlee Coughlin pushed the Beavers back ahead, 7-6.

Sioux Falls brought a run across in the sixth to force extra innings. A two-run single by Sydney Nieveen sealed MSU’s fate in the eighth inning.

Maggie Mercer went 4-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored in the losing effort.

The Beavers took to the field once again a few hours later in a loser-out contest.

Game 2: St. Cloud State 14, Minot State 5

Minot State pounced early again with a five-run second inning. Odlum, Mercer and Coughlin came through with the RBIs. But, that was all for the Beavers’ offense.

SCSU responded with 14 unanswered runs, starting with five runs on four hits in the bottom of the second inning. The biggest blow was a nine-run fourth inning, which eventually enforced the mercy run-rule after five innings.

Coughlin, Odlum and Alina Gonzalez finished with multiple hits in the game for the Beavers.

Minot State finished the season with a 26-22 overall record.

MSU football schedule released

Minot State released its 2019 football schedule on Thursday, highlighted by five home games at Herb Parker Stadium.

The Beavers will open the season against defending Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division champion Minnesota Duluth on the road at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 5, in Duluth, Minn.

Minot State will take on Northern State on Military Appreciation Day in its 2019 home opener at 1 p.m. on Sept. 14 before traveling to face Mary in the Battle of the Big Lake Trophy game on Sept. 21.

The Beavers take on Minnesota Crookston on the road before hosting Southwest Minnesota State in its annual Homecoming game on Oct. 5 with a 3 p.m. kickoff.

Road games at Winona State (Oct. 12) and Augustana (Oct. 26) are sandwiched around a home game against Concordia-St. Paul on Oct. 19.

Following the date at Augustana, Minot State returns home to battle Minnesota State Moorhead at 2 p.m. on Nov. 2 before wrapping up its road slate at St. Cloud State on Nov. 9.

Minot State concludes its regular season with a showdown against Bemidji State on Senior Day at 1 p.m. on Nov. 16.

— MSU athletics

Osterman, Falldorf receive NSIC Butch Raymond Scholarship

BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Minot State’s Parker Osterman and Emily Falldorf have each been awarded the Butch Raymond Scholarship, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced on Thursday.

The scholarship, which is sponsored by Sanford Health, is awarded to one or two student-athletes at each of the 16 NSIC institutions. To be eligible for the scholarship, the recipient must be a senior academically in 2018-19, have a grade-point average of 3.20 or higher, be participating in intercollegiate athletics and plan to work in a health-related field or attend graduate school in a health-related field.

In 2017-18, the scholarship was increased to $240,000 and is divided among selected recipients at each of the NSIC member institutions.

The scholarship is in recognition of Butch Raymond, the NSIC Commissioner from 2004-2014. For over a decade, Raymond led the NSIC from an eight-team league to a 16-team super conference. During his tenure, the league won 13 team national championships while achieving a high level of academic success.

Osterman is a member of the Minot State wrestling team while Falldorf competes for the Minot State volleyball team.

— MSU athletics