JAMESTOWN, N.D. – Minot State University softball's bats woke up at the perfect time in both games.

MSU pounded out 19 hits and 15 runs, but scored six on the top of the eighth inning in game 1 and four in the top of the sixth in game 2.

Those two outbursts led to two more Dakota Athletic Conference wins as MSU topped Jamestown College 7-3 and 8-2 Saturday at Jamestown.

“We scored in a lot of different ways,” said MSU head coach Bill Triplett. “We hit the long ball, we strung some hits together, we scored on a hit-and-run that went to the gap and we scored on a suicide squeeze play. We strung a good streak on them in the eighth (in game 1) and got on them a little.”

MSU pushed its conference mark to 11-2, winning its seventh straight DAC game. MSU has also won 14 of 16 games to go to 24-7 overall. JC dropped to 5-6 in DAC, 13-22 overall.

In game 1, MSU starting pitcher Mandy Greenberg (So., Winnipeg, Manitoba) pitched all eight innings for the win. She gave up single runs in the sixth, seventh and the bottom of the eighth, but overall pitched well. She gave up just seven hits while striking out 14 over eight innings.

“Mandy went eight and she also pitched in a key spot in the second game,” Triplett said. “She threw well for us today.”

Tiffany Friesen (So., P/DP, Morden, Manitoba) and Stacey Fournier (Fr., SS, Langley, British Columbia) had two hits each for the Beavers, while Fournier drove in two runs. Colleen Bertrand hit a home run and drove in one, while Kyla Thiesen (Jr., 2B, Brandon, Manitoba), Leah Matthewson (So., OF/1B, Regina, Saskatchewan) and Friesen all had one RBI.

“Tiffany had a couple hits and had a couple hard hit balls. It looks like she is back to her old self at the plate and the finger is come around,” Triplett said of Friesen's injured hand. “She can't pitch yet, but she can hit with a protective piece over the finger.”

In game 2, the Beavers didn't exactly capitalize on the momentum from game 1, calling behind 1-0 after the first inning and clung to a 2-1 lead entering the sixth. But, like the eighth in game 1, MSU was able to get to the JC starting pitcher. MSU scored four in the inning and got out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth as Greenberg relieved starter Jen Dixon (Fr., P/OF, Brandon, Manitoba). Dixon came back into the game in the seventh to end the game. Dixon finished with 5 2/3 innings pitched, giving up just five hits, while Greenberg had two strikeouts in an inning and a third of work.

“It took a little while to get going in game 2,” said Triplett. “It took us one time through the order to figure their starter out. But once we did, we got rolling a little.”

Friesen, Deanna Mitchell (Jr., OF/1B, Portage, Manitoba) and Melissa Elliott (Sr., OF, Escondido, Calif.) all had multiple hits. Elliott went 3-for-4 with two runs batted in, Mitchell was 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs and Dixon added two RBIs.

“We got hits from multiple people at different times up and down the order. That was nice to see,” Triplett said. “We had a good day putting runs on the board.”

MSU is scheduled to play at the University of Mary Tuesday in nonconference play and will travel to Mayville State for conference games Wednesday. Triplett indicated the team might be able to get another conference double header in as MSU needs to get to 16 conference games. MSU also has home junior varsity games on Monday (1/3 p.m.) with Dawson (Mont.) Community College.

“We are just trying to get games figured out – it could be a busy week next week,” he said. “We are in first place in the conference but have to get to 16 to be crowned the conference champs. We are trying somehow to make up conference games. We are so close, but Mother Nature isn't letting us get there.”