SPEARFISH, S.D. – Minot State University freshmen hit three home runs between two games to lift the Beavers to a sweep.

MSU's Stacy Fournier (Fr., SS, Langley, British Columbia) and Jen Dixon (Fr., OF/P, Brandon, Manitoba) blasted a two-run and three-run home run respectively in game 1, while Colleen Bertrand (Fr., C, Langley, British Columbia) belted a two-run shot of her own in game 2.

“We had some mistakes by our freshmen today, but battled through those,” said MSU head coach Bill Triplett. “But we got three home runs from our freshmen too. It was a good sign for them to come through in our first conference road trip.”

The long ball proved to be the difference for the Beavers as MSU pounded out a 6-1 win in game 1 and held on for a 6-5 win in game 2, sweeping homestanding Black Hills State in a pair of Dakota Athletic Conference games Friday.

“We just want to get games, it doesn't matter if they are in South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, or at home, we just need to play,” Triplett said. “So to go on the road and get games was good. To get the sweep was even better.”

The two teams matched zeros for the first five innings as MSU's Mandy Greenberg (So., P, Winnipeg, Manitoba) battled BHSU's Katie Wagner. But in the sixth, Bertrand knocked in a run to put MSU up 1-0. Then, the Beavers blew things open as both Fournier and Dixon hammered home runs in the top of the seventh.

“Stacy and Jen absolutely crushed both of them,” said Triplett.

Greenberg went the distance to earn the win, giving up just three hits and one run – a seventh inning home run by Aleishia Giesey – while striking out 10 batters. She upped her record to 7-5 on the season.

In game 2, the Beavers ended up using two pitchers in five different situations to hold off the Yellow Jackets. Greenberg started and, after the Beavers built a 5-0 lead with a five-run first inning, gave way to Dixon. Dixon got hit in the lower leg by a comebacker to the mound, sending Greenberg back in the game. The Beavers pushed the lead to 6-0 with a run in the top of the fourth, and again the Beavers brought in Dixon.

The Yellow Jackets, however, came back with one in the fourth and four in the fifth. So, Triplett decided to have Greenberg close things out.

“Mandy really came through for us today. We got a great game out of her in the first game and then she came back and ended up pitching in three different spots for us in the second game,” Triplett said. “We didn't want to wear her out today, but we needed her to come back. With Jen's injury and Tiffany (MSU sophomore pitcher Tiffany Friesen, Morden, Manitoba) injuring her hand, we are probably going to have to pitch our No. 4 and 5 tomorrow.

“We will have to battle through that as well.”

Bertrand, who had five at bats coming into the day, nailed a two-run home run for a three hit day. Deanna Mitchell (Jr., 1B/P, Portage, Manitoba) and Dixon added RBIs in the game.

The Beavers (3-1 DAC, 16-6 overall) and Yellow Jackets (2-4, 7-17) are set to play two more Sunday starting at 1 p.m. (MT).