SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – After a strong regular-season on the diamond under first-year head coach Sal Rodriguez, the Beaver softball team is prepared to see if they came make a run at the NSIC Tournament Title.
Minot State's postseason journey begins Wednesday with a first-round match-up against 10
th-seeded Northern State at 2:30 p.m. The winner advances to the tournament quarterfinals to play 2
nd-seeded Concordia, St. Paul on Thursday at 3 p.m.
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For the 7
th-seeded Beavers (22-18 overall), the opener is a rematch against a Wolves team (25-23) that Minot State swept during the regular season on the road.
Gabi Dawyduk, named to the All-NSIC 2
nd Team on Tuesday, provided one game winner as her 2-run double in the top of the 8
th inning gave Minot State a 3-1 win to start the teams' doubleheader.
Dawyduk then picked up the win in the circle in the nightcap as Minot State completed the sweep with a 10-6 victory that saw
Brooklyn Morrison, who was named to the All-NSIC 1
st Team on Tuesday, go 3-for-3 while Dawyduk and
Paige Kellogg also had 3 hits each in the win for the Beavers. Minot State racked up a season-high 17 hits in the victory.
The Wolves were led by pitcher Lexi Chase, designated player Avarie Eagle, and outfielder Ashley Fauske this season as all three earned All-NSIC 2
nd Team honors.
Chase struck out 10 and was the hard-luck 3-1 loser in her first meeting with Minot State while Fauske was 4-for-6 in the doubleheader against the Beavers and Eagle was 1-for-1 in a pinch-hitting role.
Wednesday's game is a must-win for both teams as the 10-team NSIC Tournament moved to a single-elimination format this year.
With a win, the Beavers would face the Golden Bears (37-13) at 3 p.m. on Thursday. Concordia, St. Paul boasts the NSIC Freshman of the Year in third baseman Alexis Monty, and the Coach of the Year in Bob Bartel.
The No. 2 seed in the tournament, the Golden Bears were swept by the Beavers in Minot less than a month ago, snapping a 12-0 start to NSIC play for Concordia, St. Paul.
Anna LaCount, named to the All-NSIC 2
nd Team on Tuesday for the Beavers, provided the walk-off win in the bottom of the 8
th with her RBI sacrifice fly for a 2-1 Minot State victory, then LaCount and
Lauryn DeGuzman had 3 hits each in a 7-5 nightcap win for Minot State.
Monty, who led the NSIC with a .497 batting average, went 3-for-8 against the Beavers while outfielder Clara Heislen and catcher Danni Sharum – who both earned All-NSIC 2
nd Team honors – each went 1-for-4 in both games against Minot State in the teams' previous meeting in mid-April.
Left-handed pitcher Erica McCullough, named to the All-NSIC 2
nd Team as well, was the hard-luck loser in the 2-1, 8-inning Beaver victory.
The NSIC Tournament continues through Saturday with the semifinals on Friday, with the Beavers side of the bracket slated to play at 2:30 p.m., and the NSIC Tournament title game at noon on Saturday.