Game 1 - Minnesota Duluth 5 Wayne State 4

Game 2 - Minnesota Duluth 6 Wayne State 0

            Minnesota Duluth rallied late to win the opener 5-4 and then posted a 6-0 win in the second game to complete a sweep of Wayne State College Friday afternoon in a Northern Sun Conference softball doubleheader played at Malosky Stadium in Duluth, Minnesota.  The Wildcats drop to 3-13 and 0-4 in the league while UMD moves to 14-4 and 4-0 in the NSIC.
            The opener saw the host Bulldogs rally with two runs in the sixth and the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh to edge the Wildcats 5-4.
            UMD opened the game with single runs in the first and second innings, but WSC knotted the score at 2-2 in the top of the third on a sacrifice fly by Paiton Tornberg that scored Riley Holmberg (single) followed by an RBI single from Kamryn Sparks that brought home Emily Hale (single).
            The 'Cats produced runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 4-2 lead.  In the fourth, Madison Gomez walked and scored on an RBI groundout by Hale while Sparks delivered a run-scoring double in the fifth to score Kim Vidlak, who reached on an error.
            But the host Bulldogs tied the score with two runs in the sixth and won the game on a single and walk off triple in the bottom of the seventh for the 5-4 come-from-behind win.
            Wayne State had nine hits in the game, led by Sparks going 3 for 4 with a double and two RBI.  Holmberg went 2 for 3 with a run scored while Kortney Buresh, Ashley Hernandez, Jenna Etmans and Hale each singled.
            The second game saw Minnesota Duluth build a 6-0 lead after two innings and the Bulldogs maintained the shutout for a 6-0 win to complete the sweep.
            The host Bulldogs used four hits in the first frame to score three runs and added another three runs in the second on two hits and one WSC error.
            WSC had scoring chances in the fourth and sixth innings but could not convert in both frames.  Sparks and Etmans each singled in the fourth with one out and were both stranded while in the sixth WSC got a single from Hernandez and advanced to third with just one out but was also left stranded in scoring position.
            The Wildcats had six hits in the game, all singles.  Hernandez and Etmans each went 2 for 3 while Sparks and Holmberg each singled.
            Sophomore Sloan Cooksey fired a complete game, her fourth on the season, in the loss.  She was charged with six runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and four walks. 
            The Wildcats will be in action again Saturday visiting St. Cloud State for a NSIC doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.