Box Score HAYS, Kan. – Minot State University's season ended abruptly.

The Beavers carried a slim 2-1 lead into the sixth and entered the seventh tied at 2, but Fort Hays State's Maddie Holub ended the drama with a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the inning.

The walk-off propelled the No. 1 seed Tigers into the championship game and ended the Beavers run with a 5-2 win in the final loser out game at the NCAA Division II Central Regional 1 Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

“We are trying to focus on the season. That's a tough way to end it,” said MISU head coach Bill Triplett. “I told them after the game, they are a good team They could win it – not just this regional, they could win the whole thing That's a quality team.”

The Beavers (41-11 overall) nearly rode the arm and the bat of Tiffany Friesen (Sr., 3B/P, Morden, Manitoba). She hit a towering two-run home run to give Minot State a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth. She had scattered eight hits for just two runs entering the seventh.

“It's just a tough way to go out, you know,” Friesen said. “She's a good hitter. I had been able to keep them off balance most of the game with the change up which has been my go-to pitch all season.”

The seventh capped a wild game that featured two intense teams fighting to keep their season's alive and multiple stoppages in play. The Tigers (47-11) put two runners on with a single by Bianca Adame that was lost in the sun and a single by Courtney Dobson, who both scored on Holub's 19th home run of the season.
Holub was also tough on the mound as she improved to 29-3 with a complete game. She struck out 12 MISU batters and gave up just two hits.

Friesen smacked her school-record-extending 16th home run in the fourth with Jen Dixon (Jr., OF/P, Brandon, Manitoba) on first after a walk. She knocked in her 61st and 62nd runs of the season, also a school record.

Fort Hays State will advance to the first championship game Sunday at 1 p.m. against undefeated Central Oklahoma. UCO defeated FHSU 11-3 in the winner's bracket game Saturday.

Katie Backes (Jr., UTL, Minot, N.D.) had the Beavers other hit, a single. Minot State ends the season with multiple school records, including most wins in a season with 41, the Beavers first ever NCAA tournament appearance and the first NCAA tournament win, a 1-0 win over Emporia State in the first game of the day.