SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – The Minot State softball team grabbed first place in the early NSIC standings, completing a weekend road sweep of league foes by beating host Wayne State 2-0 and 10-2 last Saturday night in neutral-site games on the Dordt campus.

The Beavers (9-7 overall, 4-0 NSIC) entered the weekend in Iowa with 6-2 and 8-0 wins over Sioux Falls.

Minot State now returns home to host Southwest Minnesota State on Friday in “The Bubble” on the MSU campus on Friday in a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m., then hosts Minnesota State, Mankato in another NSIC doubleheader on Saturday.

GAME 1

Minot State 2, Wayne State 0

Junior Reegan Floyd and sophomore Kierra Fournier combined to throw a shutout on Saturday as the Minot State Beavers blanked the Wayne State Wildcats 2-0 in the opener of the teams’ NSIC doubleheader.

Floyd started in the circle for Minot State, going three shutout innings while giving up two hits, walking three, and striking out two. Fournier (3-1) picked up the win out of the bullpen and went four shutout innings, allowing three hits, walking none and striking out three.

In the batter’s box, the Beavers were paced by senior Brooklyn Morrison, who went 1-for-3 on the day with a double and an RBI. Sophomore Sara Van Wickler put together a noteworthy performance at the dish as well, going 1-for-3 with a double.

The Beavers took the lead for good in the first, scoring for the first time in the inning. Junior Abby Lohse came across to score the lone run of the inning on a throwing error after stealing second base for Minot State and get them on the board.

The Beavers then tacked on a run in the third inning to complete their scoring in the ballgame.That run scored on Morrison’s two-out RBI double.

GAME NOTES

–Floyd and Fournier combined to throw a five-hit shutout.

–Minot State took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the first and didn’t surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.

–Minot State pitchers limited Wayne State to 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

–Minot State pitchers faced 29 Wayne State hitters in the game, allowing 10 ground balls and six fly balls while striking out five.

–Morrison led the Beavers at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

–Wayne State was led offensively by freshman Jordyn Klein, who went 1-for-4 with a double.

–Junior Grace Lucka led the Wildcats pitching staff, throwing two shutout innings.

GAME 2

Minot State 10, Wayne State 2

Senior Brooklyn Morrison racked up four RBIs to help propel the Minot State Beavers past the Wayne State Wildcats 10-2 to complete an NSIC doubleheader sweep late Saturday.

Senior Gabi Dawyduk (3-3) picked up the victory out of the bullpen for Minot State. The right-hander went four innings, giving up two runs, both of them earned, on five hits, allowing two walks and striking out three. Sophomore Kierra Fournier also made an impact in the circle for the Beavers, starting the ballgame and throwing three scoreless innings while allowing two hits, with two walks and one strikeout.

Morrison went 3-for-3 with a home run and a walk in addition to her four RBIs for the Beavers. Senior Taryn Bennett furnished a noteworthy day at the plate as well, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Junior Abbey Kelley also contributed for Minot State, putting together one hit in four trips to the plate while adding a walk and two RBI.

The Beavers got the scoring started early, putting two runs on the board in the top of the first inning. Bennett drove in two runs for Minot State with a single that scored Kelley and Morrison.

The Wildcats failed to push any runs across before the Beavers offense got back to their scoring ways the next inning. Minot State scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Morrison, which brought the score to 3-0 in favor of the Beavers.

Minot State kept Wayne State scoreless before building their lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning. The Beavers scored once on an RBI single off the bat of Kelley.

Minot State kept the Wildcats without a run before their offense got things rolling the next inning as Van Wickler, Dawyduk, and Kelley each knocked in a run bringing the Minot State advantage to 7-0.

Wayne State got within 7-2 until the Beavers scored again in the seventh inning to stretch its lead to 10-2. Minot State scored three runs, all of them coming on a three-run homer off the bat of Morrison, scoring Dawyduk and senior Lauryn DeGuzman. The score remained 10-2 for the rest of the game, as the Beavers coasted to the win.

GAME NOTES

–Minot State got three-hit games from both DeGuzman and Morrison.

–Morrison drove in four runs for Minot State.

–Minot State grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top half of the first and didn’t surrender that lead for the remainder of the game.

–The Beavers out-hit the Wildcats at a 13-7 clip.

–Minot State went 6-for-17 (.353) with runners in scoring position.

–Minot State pitchers limited Wayne State to just 2-for-10 (.200) with runners in scoring position.

–Minot State pitchers faced 33 Wayne State hitters in the game, allowing 12 ground balls and five fly balls while striking out four.

–The Beavers drew four walks from Wayne State pitching.

–Morrison led the Beavers at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBI.

–Wayne State was led offensively by junior Hayley Murphy, who went 2-for-3 with a double.

–Senior Callie Carraher led the Wildcats pitching staff, throwing three innings of three-run ball.