UMD Women Blank Regis To Stay Unbeaten In NCAA Division II Playoffs

May 14

Northland Sports Online

One run was all the offensive support Megan Mullen needed Saturday afternoon as the University of Minnesota Duluth rookie delivered another one of her clutch mound performances in a 1-0 victory over Regis University at the NCAA Division II Central 1 Regionals in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Mullen, the reigning Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Freshman of the Year, gave up just six hits — all singles — and fanned 11 while registering her school-record eighth shut out of 2011.

UMD (33-15), the only unbeaten team remaining in the double-elimination tournament, will host Augustana College (47-9) on Sunday at 12 noon. A second game, if necessary, would follow with the winner moving on the NCAA II Central Super Regional next weekend.

The Bulldogs (33-15), winners of 21 of their last 24 outings, picked up the only run they would need in the top of the sixth inning when sophomore centerfielder Micheala Goris led off with single, stole second (her 22nd theft in 22 tries this spring), moved to third on a ground out and then scored on an error by Ranger shortstop Amber Aragon-Autobee.

UMD mustered just four hits in the victory, including two by senior right fielder Mandy Matula and one each by Goris and senior third baseman Sammie Gardner.

Mullen, who became UMD’s single-season strikeout leader in Friday’s 3-1 win over the Colorado School of the Mines (she has now whiffed 191 batters in 152 1/3 innings of work), improved to 15-8 on the year and increased her winning streak to 11 games.

This marks the first time a Bulldog club has posted more than one victory in an NCAA II regional tournament. UMD was a collective 3-8 in its four previous lifetime NCAA regional appearances.

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