MINOT, N.D. – Minot State University's Alyssa Cornejo (So., P, UTL, Riverside, Calif.) settled things down for the Beavers.

The sophomore righty gave up just two runs and seven hits in a 6-2 win over the University of Sioux Falls in game two to help Minot State salvage a split of a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference softball Friday at Herb Parker Stadium.

The Beavers (23-9 overall, 4-5 NSIC) had to move their game from its original scheduled location of South Hill Complex to The Herb due to wet conditions on the infield. MSU will move its next scheduled game – a double header with Southwest Minnesota State Saturday – to the turf as well.

Cornejo, who saw limited time in the circle as a freshman, moved to 6-1 on the season with the win. While she is still learning to pitch at the collegiate level, her consistency Friday was important for MSU head coach Bill Triplett.

"She was really good for us. She attacked the strike zone," said Triplett. "With a team that scores five or six run per game, you can give up a solo home run here or there. You can't put people on. Other than (the solo home runs), she pitched very well – she has for a while now, she just has that tender shoulder."

Cornejo went the distance, striking out 10 batters, while walking just one.

While her efficiency was important for MSU, so was a four-run first inning. After USF's Danielle Walker hit a solo home run in the top of the first, MSU struck right back. The Beavers tied it at one as Jordan Grant (So., CF, Adelnato, Calif.) singled, stole second and scored on an Ashley Hill (Fr., 1B, Mesa, Ariz.) single. Rachel Burdette (So., UTL, Temecula, Calif.) drove in Hill and Leyna Downey (Sr., OF, Missoula, Mont.) doubled in Burdette and Cornejo, who singled after Burdette.

"Coming off the loss in game 1, it was important for us to get those runs," Triplett said. "You want to see what kind of team you are, are you going to be bummed out and roll over, but we came out and put up a crooked number. That makes her more confident and she followed through."

While the Beavers have heavily relied on the top of the order, it was the middle of the lineup that paced MSU in game 2. Hill, Burdette, Cornejo and Downey – MSU's No. 4-7 batters, combined to go 7 for 12 with five RBIs and three runs scored.

"We hit the ball alright overall today," Triplett said. "We went up and down the lineup getting hits so that's good. Outside the first couple of innings in game 1, we hit it pretty well. We got better as the day wore on."

Erin Scott went 2 for 4 for USF (17-11, 3-4) and Shannon Daly joined Walker with solo home runs to lead the Cougars. Alyson Netty pitched six innings, giving up 10 hits and six runs in the loss.

Grant went 2 for 4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases for MSU. Hill, Burdette and Downey all went 2 for 3 for the Beavers.

Game 1 was a back-and-forth affair as both teams had leads. MSU carried a 5-3 lead into the sixth, but the Cougars rallied for six in the sixth. MSU's 5-3 lead could have been much bigger, but MSU left the bases loaded in the first, two more in the third and, despite scoring four runs on five hits, two more in the fourth.

"We were impatient in game 1," said Triplett. "She (USF pitcher Breanna Black) had two pitches, a drop and the rise ball and didn't throw the change for a strike, but we didn't make her throw pitches. We didn't get a key hit early when we needed."

Hill had two big hits for the Beavers in the first game, diving in Melissa Bell (Sr., UTL, Bozeman, Mont.) in the third to cut the USF lead in half at 2-1. She plated Bell and Grant with a single in the fourth to put MSU up 5-2. Bell doubled earlier in the inning to score two.

But USF had a big inning in the sixth, getting RBIs from Netty, Daly, Walker and back-to-back home runs from Betsy Thomas and Netty.
MSU got it back to a three-run game as Burdette laced her team-leading seventh HR to left in the seventh, but Black shut the door on a MSU comeback.

Black gave up six runs – five earned – eight hits and walked five, but evened her record at 6-6 on the season. Netty was the hitting star for USF as she went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and the home run in the win for the Cougars.

Grant and Hill picked up two hits apiece for the Beavers. Mindy Lorimor (Sr., P, Thurman, Iowa) pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up eight hits and seven runs to fall to 15-7 overall.

The Beavers will take on SMSU at 12/2 p.m. to end a six-game home stand Saturday.