Megan Mulen Pitches UMD To Victory In Opening Playoff Action

May 13, 2011 Northland Sports Online

The fifth time was the charm for the University of Minnesota Duluth Friday afternoon as the Bulldogs, after failing to win its first game in four previous NCAA Division II Central Regional appearances, pulled out a 3-1 victory over the Colorado School of Mines to open the 2011 tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D.

No. 2 seed UMD (32-15), which is 20-3 over its last 23 games, will now face No. 4 Regis College (33-22), which upset top-seeded Augustana College 5-0 Friday, in a second round clash on Saturday in the four-team double-elimination event.

After CSM took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third by scoring on an error, the Bulldogs answered one inning later when senior first baseman Coley Gale’s single to left plated sophomore second baseman Tyra Kerr. Senior catcher Ashley Johnson drove in junior left fielder Carlie Schnoebelen with a sacrifice fly in the fifth and then UMD took advantage of an Oredocker throwing error on that same play with another run by sophomore centerfielder Michaela Goris.

Six different Bulldogs picked up one hit each in the triumph, including Gale, Goris, Kerr, Schnoebelen, senior right fielder Mandy Matula and sophomore shortstop Kierra Jeffers, who increased her personal hitting streak to 13 games. Goris also stole one base after leading off the first with a walk, making her a perfect 21-of-21 on the year and 38-of-39 for her career.

Rookie Megan Mullen (15-8) posted her 11th consecutive victory by pitching four-hit ball over the final four innings in relief of senior Heather Stemper. Stemper gave up five hits and, like Mullen, struck out four.

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