Minot State’s Sarah Misner singles during the second game of a doubleheader against Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday, May 2, at Scheels South Hill Complex. Mike Kraft/MDN

The Minot State softball team turned its final two regular season doubleheaders into a home run derby at times, sending eight balls out of the park in a pair of sweeps as the Beavers enter the postseason on a five-game winning streak.

Minot State opened the weekend by sweeping Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday, May 2, before closing out the regular season with a pair of wins against Sioux Falls on Sunday, May 3, at Scheels Sports Hill Complex. The Beavers posted 10-2 and 7-2 victories over the Mustangs and 14-1 and 8-0 wins against the Cougars.

The Beavers (33-21 overall, 18-12 NSIC) began their home run barrage right from the jump against SW Minnesota State. Taylor Smith put Minot State on the board in its first at-bat of the doubleheader, smacking a solo home run to left field in the lead off spot.

The Mustangs (31-25, 17-13) came back with a run in the second, but the Beavers added four wins in the second to reclaim the lead. Sarah Misner led off the inning with a solo home run to center and Smith and Sara Van Wickler both recorded RBI doubles later in the frame. Paige Kellogg capped off the four-run inning with an RBI single to center.

Brooke Hyde hit a two-run home run with two outs in the third and Smith registered her second long ball of the contest with another solo homer to lead off the fourth. Hyde ended the game via mercy rule with an RBI double to left in the fifth.

Kierra Fournier picked up her ninth win of the season in the circle for the Beavers, allowing two runs on six hits over five innings. She struck out six and walked four.

Minot State completed the sweep of the Mustangs, recording the first five runs of the game and keeping the visitors off the scoreboard through the first five innings. The Beavers hit two more home runs, with Misner recording her second in the third and Kellogg adding another in the seventh.

Misner finished the finale 3-for-4 with a home run, RBI and two runs scored. Smith and Kellogg both recorded two hits. Brooke and Raivyn Millions both doubled as the Beavers put up 11 hits for the game.

Calley Olson started the game for the Beavers, not allowing a hit in three innings of work. Misner pitched the remaining four innings and earned the win, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out one.

The runs and home runs kept coming the following day against the Cougars (28-27, 16-14). The Beavers hit two more home runs in the opener. Kellogg launched a two-run shot as part of a six-run third and Smith hit her third of the weekend – a three-run long ball to cap off a five-run fourth.

Kellogg drove in a team-high four runs. She recorded a two-run single in the second, scoring Smith and Micaela Resler to give the Beavers an early 3-0 lead. She was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a walk.

Smith, Van Wickler and Resler each had two hits. Ressler was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Smith finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

Fournier limited the Cougars offense to just two hits over five innings of the mercy-rule shortened contest. She allowed one run, striking out three for her second win of the weekend and 10th overall.

The regular season finale also lasted just five innings after a six-run fourth by the Beavers pushed them over the mercy-rule threshold. While the Beavers didn’t send any pitches over the fence, they still put up eight hits, four of which went for doubles.

Kellogg again didn’t record an out in the batter’s box, going 3-for-3 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored. She singled up the middle in the third to score Smith and doubled to right in the fourth to bring in Van Wickler and Smith once again. Smith doubled two batters earlier to drive in Resler. Mallory Hoogensen delivered the final hit of the regular season – a double to left to score Kellogg.

Katie Newberry tossed a two-hitter to earn her 11th win of the year. She struck out three and walked two.

The Beavers enter the NSIC Tournament as the No. 7 seed and will play No. 10 seed Minnesota Duluth in the opening round on Wednesday, May 6, at noon in Sioux Falls, S.D. Minot State was a tiebreaker with Concordia-St. Paul away from receiving a bye into the quarterfinal round. The tournament is single elimination.