Trinity Kennemer and the Madison Night Mares swept a three-game series with the Minot Honeybees over the weekend to improve to 20-1 on the season. Mike Kraft/MDN

Right from the opening bell of the season, the race to the Northwoods League top seed and home-field advantage in the Championship Series has been a one-horse competition.

As the season reaches its midway point, the Madison Night Mares have lost just once in 21 games and hold a 10-game lead over their closest competitor in the standings with 21 contests remaining on the schedule entering Sunday’s slate.

Madison continued its reign over the rest of the Northwoods League, sweeping a three-game series from the Minot Honeybees over the weekend. The Night Mares posted their fourth shutout of the season and second against Minot in a 13-0 victory on Friday, July 3.

The Honeybees took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday, July 4, but Madison’s Danielle Lucey hit a two-run home run to give the Night Mares a 3-2 victory. Minot jumped out to a three-run lead in the nightcap, but surrendered the next 11 runs as Madison completed the sweep with an 11-5 victory.

The first game of the series needed an extra day to complete after rain suspended the contest in the top of the fifth with the Night Mares in front 9-0. The game took 32 minutes to complete once play resumed. With two outs and the bases clear in the bottom of the fifth, Madison used back-to-back-to-back walks to load the bases and Emma Kavanagh ended the game via mercy rule with a grand slam to center.

The Night Mares (20-1) needed just six hits to plate 13 runs, as they drew 10 walks. They took an early 5-0 lead after one inning. Tele Jennings drove in two with a double to right and Mickayla Tosch brought in Jennings with an RBI single. Madison also tallied two runs via bases-loaded walks.

Ava Carroll homered as part of a three-run fourth.

Andrea Jaskowiak recorded her fourth win of the season with a complete-game two-hitter. She struck out seven and walked one.

Clare Rettler had both of Minot’s hits.

The Honeybees (6-14) nearly handed the Night Mares their second defeat of the year, taking a 3-2 lead in the top of the sixth. After Hilary Blomberg drove in Trinity Kennemer for the game’s first run in the third, Bridget Chapman put the Honeybees in front with a two-run home run to left.

The lead was short-lived, as Lucey matched Chapman with a two-run homer of her own. Minot went down in order in the seventh.

Ryan Maddox improved to 5-0 on the mound for Madison. She tossed all seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out 11 and walking one. Minot’s Parker Rowden also pitched a complete game. She allowed three runs on five hits, striking out two and walking two.

The Honeybees again held a lead over the Night Mares in the finale, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. An error at first allowed two Minot players to score. Madison had two errors in the game, both occurring within the first three batters.

The Night Mares plated seven in the second and four in the fourth to grab an 11-3 lead. They registered their first three runs on a wild pitch, passed ball and a hit batter with the bases loaded. Tosch launched a grand slam to center to cap off the inning.

Blomberg and Kavanagh both homered in the fourth.

Minot got a sac fly off the bat of Sara Simon and an RBI single from Olivia Hernandez in the fifth.

The Honeybees outhit Madison 8-5, but the Night Mares drew nine walks compared to Minot’s three.

Retter and Chapman both had two hits, and Chapman and Hernandez each recorded two RBIs.

Minot has lost its last six games.

The Honeybees host Grand Forks on Tuesday, July 7, at Corbett Field at 6:35 p.m.