2024-04-14 22:40:55
Next Game:
at St. Cloud State University
4/16/2024 | 1:00 PM TBD
Apr. 16 (Tue) / 1:00 PM TBD
at St. Cloud State University
History
It was a tale of two two different offenses Sunday for the University of Minnesota Duluth softball team on Griggs Field inside James S. Malosky Stadium. The Bulldogs, behind a grand slam and an additional home run from Elle Potts, defeated Minnesota State University, Mankato 6-2 in the opening game before the Mavericks forced a split on the day with a 5-0 win.
UMD’s game one victory marked the 30th of the season, and subsequently made Bulldog head coach Lynn Anderson one of just two bench bosses in program history to win 30 or more games in their first three seasons (and Anderson still has 10 games remaining in the regular season alone).
Game 1 (6-2 UMD win)
In the opening game of the doubleheader, UMD hustled out to an impressive early lead in the bottom of the first inning. Using a mix of poise and patience by the Bulldog upperclassmen, Kiana Bender got on first on a dropped third strike, Julia Groholz hit a single to right center, and Nicole Schmitt followed that up with a walk, which loaded the bases for senior Elle Potts. Potts smashed the opportunity with a grand slam over the left field wall – her second homer of the season and 13th of her career – to deliver the early 4-0 lead for the Bulldogs.
UMD tacked on another run in the bottom of the second inning, and the play began when sophomore Morgan McMillan hit a double into right center field. Bender followed that single up with a hit into right field that scored McMillan for the 5-0 lead on the Mavericks.
Enter Potts in the bottom of the fifth, who drilled her second home run of the day over the left field wall to make it a 6-2 contest. UMD’s defense then turned two after Dixon snagged the hit and threw to Khendal Johnson on third, who threw to first for the double play in the top of the 6th in what would be the closest the Mavericks would come to scoring the rest of the game.
Already the career complete games record holder, senior pitcher Lauren Dixon added her 74th, along with 11 strikeouts to improve to 16-5 on the year. But the Bulldogs offense earned most of the spotlight, and put up the most runs against an MSU squad since the 2018 season. Five of them came off of Potts’ two home runs, and along with Potts, two other players logged two hits – McMillan and Bender, who were both 2-of-4 from the plate.
Game 2 (5-0 MSU)
In role reversals, UMD struggled at the plate in the second contest while the Mavericks found their bats. MSU collected two runs in the top of the second and three in the top of the third. Maverick pitcher McKayla Armbruster allowed just two Bulldog hits all game – a single down the right line by Kendal Jenkins in the bottom of the sixth inning and a single to short shot by Schmitt in the bottom of the seventh, but UMD couldn’t get across the plate.
Bender turned two double plays for the Bulldogs defense, while Allyssa Williams, who started the game on the mound took the loss (4-3) after pitching 4.2 innings. Williams struck out five batters but all five runs came against the sophomore. Allison Luoma finished the game with 2.1 innings pitched and allowed two hits.
The Bulldogs (30-13, 11-7) will head to St. Cloud State University on Tuesday to face the Huskies in St. Cloud, Minn. The NSIC doubleheader is scheduled to get underway with game one at 1:00 p.m. and game two at 3:00 p.m.
BULLDOG NOTES: UMD’s game one run tally was the most since the Bulldogs put up 12 on the Mavericks back on April 8, 2018 … UMD has now split its last two regular double headers with MSU … Elle Potts now has three home runs on the season and 14 over her career … it marked the third two-home run game of the senior’s Bulldog career … Potts grand slam was the first for the Bulldogs this season.
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