UMD Seasons Ends

NSO – NEWS RELEASE

Generating just six hits and three runs resulted in an early exit from the 2015 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament for the University of Minnesota Duluth.

The Bulldogs, the tourney’s No. 7 seed, fell 3-1 to No. 10 Southwest Minnesota State University in the opener Thursday afternoon at Sherman Park in Sioux Falls, S.D., before being upended 3-2 by No. 4 Northern State University that afternoon. UMD, which came into the day riding a six-game winning streak, concluded the year at 33-22 overall.

In the 3-1 setback to the Mustangs, UMD got both of its hits — a leadoff double from freshman center fielder Hannah Schmoll (to extend her hitting streak to nine games) and a run-scoring single from senior first baseman Jordan Rice — in the bottom of the fourth inning, which tied the game at 1-1. Southwest Minnesota State scored twice in the top of the sixth on Kaily Hanson’s double to left center field to clinch the victory.  Bulldog junior Cayli Sadler (18-11) allowed seven hits and fanned seven en route to registering her personal-high 21st complete game of the season.

In the elimination game against Northern State, Rice, the Bulldogs’ lone senior, went 2-for-3 with one home run (her team-leading 14th of the spring) and two RBI in her final collegiate appearance. Sophomore left fielder Heather Woyak and rookie second baseman Natalie Wright had other two hits for the Bulldogs, who led 1-0 after the first inning on Rice’s RBI single, but saw the Wolves take the lead for good with a three-run third. Sophomore lefty Sam Hartmann (14-11) incurred the loss, giving up seven hits in six innings of work.

Rice wrapped up her UMD career as the program’s all-time leader in home runs (44) and walks (79) and came within three RBI of matching the Bulldog record in that department (149) as well. This spring, the Ham Lake, Minn., native and 2015 All-NSIC first team honoree set a UMD single-season mark for put outs (379).

Schmoll paced UMD in hitting — the first rookie to do so since 2000 (Sara Braiedy) — with a .406 mark, becoming just the second Bulldog to clear the .400 plateau in the last six seasons.

The double losses marked the end of the 10-year head coaching reign for UMD’s Jen Banford. Banford compiled a 306-196 record during her tenure with the Bulldogs.