Sean Arbaut/MSU The Minot State softball team celebrates its walk-off win over Concordia, St. Paul on Saturday, April 14, 2024. The Beavers won 2-1 in 8 innings and also beat the Golden Bears, 7-5, in the second game of the doubleheader.

It took the Minot State softball team extra innings to do it, but the Beavers knocked off the only undefeated team left in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) in Concordia St. Paul, 2-1, in eight innings on Saturday. .

The win was the first of three victories on the weekend to move Minot State into fourth in the conference standings, a full game ahead of Winona State, whom the Beavers split a double-header with on Sunday afternoon.

Minot State 2, Concordia St. Paul 1, eight innings

The Beavers’ Brooklyn Morrison opened the bottom of the eighth inning with a double, and a sacrifice bunt by Abby Lohse and a sacrifice fly by Anna LaCount brought Morrison around to score the walk-off run.

Reegan Floyd pitched a complete game for Minot State to pick up the win and improve her season record to 6-4. Floyd gave up her only run when Sydney Pelzer singled to right field in the top of the fourth, driving in Alexus Houston. Overall, she gave up nine hits and no walks while striking out one.

Erica McCullough suffered just her third loss of the season (19-3), giving up two runs in 7 2/3 innings of work. McCullough gave up six hits, walked two and struck out five.

Minot State’s Gabi Dawyduk hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game at 1-1.

Minot State 7, Concordia St. Paul 5

Game two saw considerably more offense but not as many innings played; as Minot State was able to hold off a two-run rally in the top of the seventh to sweep the doubleheader over the Golden Bears, 7-5.

Gabi Dawyduk had quite the Saturday for the Beavers. In the first game of the day, she hit a solo home run, before turning to the mound in the second game, where she pitched a complete game and picked up her sixth win of the season. Dawyduk gave up five runs, four earned, while walking one and striking out two batters.

Left fielder Lauryn DeGuzeman led the Beavers with three runs on three hits, including a triple. She also stole two-bases in the game. Other Minot State players who scored included Morrison, Paige Kellog, Sara Van Wicker and Hannah Murray.

Minot State handed Makayla Wigern her first loss of the season, scoring seven runs, five earned, on nine hits while walking three and striking out one. Wigern also threw three wild pitches that put runners in scoring position.

The losses dropped Concordia St. Paul to 32-8 overall and 14-2 in the NSIC, while Minot State improved to 17-11 and 12-4 in conference play heading into Sunday’s games.

Winona State 9. Minot State 6

Winona State scored six runs in the final two to rally for a 9-5 win, and hand Minot State its only loss on the weekend. The Beavers did rally for one run in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to close out the win.

Paige Kellog led the Minot State offense with one run on two hits and 2 RBIs, while teammate Brooklyn Morrison scored one run on two hits, with an RBI.

Savannah Serdynski and Abbie Hlas each scored two runs to lead the Warriors.

Jayda Berg (6-2) pitched three innings in relief to pick up the win, surrendering two runs, one earned, on three hits. Berg struck out two batters and walked none. Izzy Howe got the start for the Warriors allowing four runs, three earned, in four innings. Berg struck out seven batters while walking one.

Floyd (6-5) took the loss for the Beavers, throwing 5 1/3 innings and giving up five runs on eleven hits, while striking out two batters. Kierra Fournier pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief, allowing four runs, one earned, while striking out one and walking two.

Minot State 5, WInona State 2

Minot State rebounded in the second game for an 8-5 victory to go up a full-game in the standings on fifth-place Winona State.

The Beavers got a solid performance from Gabi Dawyduk on the mound. The senior, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, threw her second complete game of the weekend, giving up two runs on eight hits in seven innings of work. She walked two and struck out in the win, improving to 7-5 on the season.

Offensively, Dawyduk hit a RBI double and scored a run for Minot State.

In addition to Dawyduk, four other Beavers scored in the game: Lauryn DeGuzman, Morrison, LaCount and Kellog.

Alyssa Woelfel and Serdynski each scored a run for the Warriors.

Abby Smith got the start and took the loss for Winona State (9-7). Smith allowed three runs on five hits in four innings of work, while striking out two and walking one batter. Morgan Smetana came on in relief, allowing two runs on three hits in two innings of work. She recorded neither a strikeout nor a walk.

Minot State improves to 18-12 overall and 13-5 in the NSIC. The team currently sits in fourth place, one game back of Minnesota State. Winona State falls to 27-15 overall and 11-5 in NSIC play.

Minot State travels to Minnesota State-Moorhead on Tuesday, April 16 for a doubleheader. On Wednesday, the Beavers will take on University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.