Lovato Breaks NCAA D-II Record as Grizzly Softball Goes 4-1 in Las Vegas

Eric R. Flores
The Paw Print

Adams State College sophomore Katelyn Lovato broke the NCAA Division II record for consecutive games with a hit, reaching safely for the 41 straight game over the last two seasons, helping the Grizzlies to claim an 8-0 run-rule win over the University of Mary (N.D.) Marauders here at Majestic Park on Saturday evening.
Her streak was then snapped in the next game as the Grizzlies fell 11-0 to Augustana (S.D.) on Saturday night.
The Grizzlies went 4-1 over the weekend during the second annual MSUB Desert Stinger that was held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The weekend started with a 15-6 run-rule win over St. Edward’s Texas before winning 16-8 over Upper Iowa on Friday night.
The Grizzlies then bounced back and wrapped up the weekend with a 10-2 run-rule victory in five innings over the Minot Beavers.
Lovato, who has broke NCAA Division II record that was set by Danielle Monson from Central Washington last year, went 5-for-9 on Friday, including a 2-for-4 effort in Grizzlies 15-6 season-opening win over St. Edward’s (Texas) and 3-for-5 in the second game over Upper Iowa.
Her older sister, senior Jaycee Lovato made an impact of her own as she tied the Grizzlies’ NCAA Division II era (1993-Present) record for home runs in game as she hit two in the second game.   She also broke the Grizzlies’ NCAA Division II era record for most RBI in a game as she had eight, four of which came on a third-inning grand slam.
The whole team stepped up big on the offensive side of the game, and it showed early.
In the first inning of the win over St. Edward’s, receiving votes in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s Preseason Top 25 Poll, Lindquist got the Grizzlies first RBI of the season out of the way early as she nailed double to chase Katelyn Lovato from third after she reached on a throwing error. Sophomore Alexis Gallego, who redshirted during the 2010 season, walked before redshirt freshman Kristen Payne walked to set up a bases loaded situation for freshman Stephanie Dunham. Playing first base in that game, Dunham was able to make her first official at bat of her college career a memorable one as she blasted a 1-2 pitch to dead center field for a grand slam to put the Grizzlies up 6-0.
The Hilltoppers, who fell to 2-3 with the loss, battled back into the game in the bottom half of the inning as they tapped senior pitcher Sarah Lindquist for four runs.
That did not slow down the Grizzly offense as Katelyn Lovato had her first hit of the season when she blooped a triple down the left field line. After a Gallego walk, Rebecca Lindquist blasted a line drive that bounced off the top of the left field fence and back into the field of play scoring Lovato.
Payne used her power later in the inning as she blasted a homer over the left field fence and when it was all said and done, the Grizzlies were up 11-4 heading into the bottom of the second.
After a Hilltopper run in the bottom of the inning that made the score 11-5, neither team would score in the third of fourth frames.  The Grizzlies finally put the final touches on the game as Gallego hit a 3-run double before she scored on a passed ball to put the Grizzlies up 15-5 before another single Hilltopper tally in the bottom of the fifth was not enough to stop the run-rule from being implemented.
Sarah Lindquist got the win in the game as she allowed six runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out two.
In the second game, Katelyn Lovato wasted little time in tying the record, as she was able to lay down a slap bunt to the shortstop and beat the throw to first base on the first play of the game against Upper Iowa.
Jaycee Lovato than got started to work on her record as she was able to get a 2-run single before Dunham and Rebecca Lindquist pushed two more runs to put the Grizzlies up 4-0 after the top of the first.
The fact that the Grizzlies got an early lead did not stop the Peacocks (1-1) as they jumped on senior pitcher Marissa Elsberry in a hurry and tacked five runs on the board to take a 5-4 lead.
But the valiant Grizzly offense did not stay down for long as they tacked on four runs in their half of the second inning including two homers. The first was a 2-run homer by Jaycee Lovato to bring her RBI total up to four runs at that point, while Payne followed with a first-pitch homer to center field as the Grizzlies had their first back-to-back homers of the season.
With the Grizzlies up 8-5 headed into the bottom half of the second inning, a shaky Elsberry gave up some early base runners before head coach Dervin Taylor elected to bring in freshman Taylor Johnson to minimize the damage.
The damage was minimized as only three runs scored and the game was tied at eight heading into the third inning.
The Grizzly offense then just set up their offense perfectly for success. Freshman Jennie Archambault singled to center field, while Katelyn Lovato had a bunt single before Gallego had a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Rebecca Lindquist, who is normally feared for her power-hitting, put down a bunt and was safe after the pitcher decided not the risk throwing the ball and allowing a run to score.
So with the bases loaded, Jaycee Lovato came out and blasted the ball to left center field to break the former record of 7 RBIs in a game, a feat that had happened three times before, mostly recently by Heather Ebert in 2008, as the Grizzlies took a 12-8 lead after 2 ½ innings.
In the top half of the fourth inning the Grizzlies stayed with the theme as they put up a 4-spot for the fourth straight inning.  After a single by sophomore DJ Consonero , junior Melinda Velasquez came in to pinch run. Katelyn Lovato was the next batter and she was able to blast a line drive to the right center field wall. The speed of Velasquez and Lovato put pressure on the defense as they flew around the bases and with an offline throw to home plate, Velasquez scored. Katelyn Lovato, who was already at third, saw the ball get away and took off for home and slid in safely before the a tag could be applied.
Jaycee Lovato and Rebecca Lindquist than got on base, setting up a 2-run double by Payne, which finished the game’s scoring.
Johnson, who got her first career win, shut down the Peacock offense in the game as she went on and only gave up two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out three in four innings of work.
Katelyn Lovato, had two balls, in Saturday night’s first game, before receiving a pitch that she drove down the left field line that fell in front of Marauder left fielder Jenna Button for what everyone thought was going to be a single.  However, Lovato saw the opening and turned up her speed and turned it into a double.
Lovato then scored, after she advanced to third on a passed ball, on an Gallego single up the middle as the Grizzlies improved to 3-0 on the young season with the shutout win that dropped the Mauraders, now 2-1, from the ranks of the unbeaten.
All three of the Grizzlies’ wins have come via the run-rule.
Sarah Lindquist had a stellar performance in the pitching circle as she picked up her first shutout since her freshman year (2008), allowing just five runners to reach base while giving up just three hits.  She also struck out six batters and improved to 2-0 on the year while earning her 35th career win.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies cranked out 14 hits, including four doubles, and received a 3-run homer and five RBI by senior Jaycee Lovato, the record setter’s older sister.
Six different Grizzlies, including Jaycee Lovato, who went 2-for-4, had two or more hits in the game.
Gallego went 3-for-4.
After Katelyn Lovato’s initial run, neither team was able to score again until the bottom of the fifth inning when Jaycee Lovato hit her third homer of the young season to deep center field after Gallego and junior Rebecca Lindquist had both singled up the middle.
Then after a walk and the lone error of the game at the start of Mary’s 6th inning, Sarah Lindquist set down the next three Marauder batters, setting up a bizarre and dramatic end to the game.
After a 1-out single by Carly DeLorenzo in the Grizzly half of the sixth, Katelyn Lovato hit into a fielder’s choice but reached first safely. With two outs, Gallego then pushed her over to second base when she singled up the middle bringing Rebecca Lindquist to the plate with two runners on.
As the at bat proceeded, Lindquist swung at the third strike that was dropped by Mary catcher Desiree Smith, charged with her second passed ball of the game. As the Marauder defense started to leave the field, the Grizzlies’ two runners (Lovato and Gallego) and the batter (Lindquist) slowly made their way to the next base before the defense realized what was going on. By the time the Marauders headed back out to get the ball, the speedy Katelyn Lovato was halfway home and scored with ease.
So with runners at first and second, Jaycee Lovato then nailed a double to center field to bring the two more runs in. The next Grizzly batter, Payne, then hit a single up the middle bringing in pinch runner Archambault to score the game-clinching run.
The Adams State College softball team, than collectively ran into a buzz-saw on Saturday night in the form of the Augustana College (S.D.). Katelyn Lovato was held to an 0-for-3 effort as the Vikings and junior pitcher Chelsey Durand gave up just one hit in an 11-0, 5-inning run-rule win over the Grizzlies, who entered the contest with a 3-0 mark.
The Vikings, now 5-0, clinched the tournament title with the win, highlighted by a 7-run second inning barrage.
Augustana, which went 46-14 last year while winning its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Regular Season title, received home runs from Theresa McMahon, Kelsey Kalman and Durand in the game, their last of the massive 24-team, 60-game tournament being played on six fields.
The Grizzlies, still a solid 3-1 after averaging 13 runs while hitting .461 as a team in their three wins, will wrap up the weekend with a Sunday clash against the 1-2 Minot State (N.D.) Beavers, slated to start at noon PST (1 p.m. Mountain).
Lovato had her first chance at extending her record but grounded out to short to begin the game.  Gallego one of just four Grizzlies to reach base, then reached on the Vikings’ lone error before Durland recorded the first of seven strikeout to get out of the inning.
Elsberry,  who suffered the loss in the circle for the Grizzlies, allowed just one hit herself in the bottom of the first, ended by a nice lineout double play turned by junior shortstop Rebecca Lindquist.
Durand then gave up a 1-out walk in the top of the second before her teammates did the offensive damage in the bottom half of the frame.  Chelsi Winskowski started the inning with a single up the middle before Kalkman homered to left center.  McMahon then also added a 2-run homer after a Grizzly error before a 2-run Traci Fransen double and a Winskowski 2-bagger, her second hit of the inning, plated Fransen with the final run of the inning.
Durland then helped herself with a solo shot to left to start the bottom of the third before the Grizzlies put on a little bit of a rally in the top of the fourth as Rebecca Lindquist walked before redshirt freshman Payne singled.
However, Durland got out of the jam before three more Viking runs in the bottom of the fourth made the score 11-0.
Durland then set down the Grizzlies in order in the fifth as Lovato struck out for the second time ending the game and her hitting streak, that fell just three games shy of the NCAA’s All-Division record of 44, set by Heather Bortz of Division III Moravian (Pa.) in 2003 and 2004.  Sara Graziano of Division I Costal Carolina had the NCAA’s only other longer streak than Lovato, as she recorded hits in 43 straight games during the 1993 and 1994 campaigns.
Lovato’s older sister Jaycee also saw her 19-game, multiple-season hitting streak come to an end after striking out twice.  That streak was tied for second longest in the Grizzlies’ available full statistical history (1997-Present).
Lindquist also saw a 16-game hitting streak, tied for fourth longest in that span, snapped after she went 0-for-1 before drawing the fourth inning walk, one of just two that Durland gave up.
The Grizzlies were scoreless until they blasted seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning before scoring the final two runs in the bottom of the fifth for the walk off win on Sunday, were led by senior pitcher Sarah Lindquist who got her third win of the season.  During the weekend, Lindquist had a 2.25 ERA for the 16 innings pitched, she had eight strikeouts while giving up four earned runs. On Sunday, Lindquist gave up two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out two.
The game started out shaky for the Grizzlies as leadoff hitter, Kyla Thiesen, nailed the third pitch of the at bat down the left field line for a home run. However, Lindquist was able to get help with some amazing defensive plays to keep the game on reach for the Grizzlies as she shut down the Beavers for the next three frames.
Then, in the fourth inning, the trouble started for the Beavers and pitcher Mandy Greenber. After a fielding error by the shortstop to allow Gallego to reach base, junior Rebecca Lindquist replaced her on the base paths after she hit into a fielder’s choice. Senior Jaycee Lovato singled to center before redshirt freshman Payne to load the bases.
Dunham then fired the first shot as she hit a double to left center to score two runs. Junior Lizzy Schossow hit a ball to shortstop but she was able to reach first base when the shortstop tried to get the runner out at home plate. Erin Myers  however, was able to slide in safely and a smart Schossow rounded first and safely made it to second on the throw.
Freshman Tayler Else than got money ball and singled up the middle and advanced to second on a throw that tried to nail Schossow who scored on the play behind Dunham.
Sophomore Katelyn Lovato reached base on a slap bunt to the third baseman, before she utilized her speed to steal both second and third base. Gallego then doubled to left center moments later to bring Lovato around.
After the Grizzlies’ seven run, five hit inning, the Beavers were able to get one run only for the ASC to take control and win the game in the bottom of the inning.
Minot State made a pitching change but that did not matter at all, as Jaycee Lovato singled through the left side before Payne doubled to right center. The two runners advanced on a passed before Dunham singled to centerfield and Payne scored. With the score 9-2, the Grizzlies set up the offense perfectly.
With Dunham at first, Schossow hit a double to center field to put runners on second and third. After a team meeting on the mound, the Beavers decided to intentionally walk Else. So with the bases loaded freshman Archambault hit a fly ball that bounced off the fence to score the winning run.
With the win the Grizzlies are now 4-1 on the season and will be looking to continue their success next weekend at the NSIC/RMAC Crossover Tournament in Rochester, Minn., which will start on Friday afternoon when the Grizzlies take on St. Cloud State (Minn.) at 3 p.m. CT (2 p.m. MT).

Adams State College sophomore Katelyn Lovato broke the NCAA Division II record for consecutive games with a hit, reaching safely for the 41 straight game over the last two seasons, helping the Grizzlies to claim an 8-0 run-rule win over the University of Mary (N.D.) Marauders here at Majestic Park on Saturday evening.
Her streak was then snapped in the next game as the Grizzlies fell 11-0 to Augustana (S.D.) on Saturday night.
The Grizzlies went 4-1 over the weekend during the second annual MSUB Desert Stinger that was held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The weekend started with a 15-6 run-rule win over St. Edward’s Texas before winning 16-8 over Upper Iowa on Friday night.
The Grizzlies then bounced back and wrapped up the weekend with a 10-2 run-rule victory in five innings over the Minot Beavers.
Lovato, who has broke NCAA Division II record that was set by Danielle Monson from Central Washington last year, went 5-for-9 on Friday, including a 2-for-4 effort in Grizzlies 15-6 season-opening win over St. Edward’s (Texas) and 3-for-5 in the second game over Upper Iowa.
Her older sister, senior Jaycee Lovato made an impact of her own as she tied the Grizzlies’ NCAA Division II era (1993-Present) record for home runs in game as she hit two in the second game.   She also broke the Grizzlies’ NCAA Division II era record for most RBI in a game as she had eight, four of which came on a third-inning grand slam.
The whole team stepped up big on the offensive side of the game, and it showed early.
In the first inning of the win over St. Edward’s, receiving votes in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association’s Preseason Top 25 Poll, Lindquist got the Grizzlies first RBI of the season out of the way early as she nailed double to chase Katelyn Lovato from third after she reached on a throwing error. Sophomore Alexis Gallego, who redshirted during the 2010 season, walked before redshirt freshman Kristen Payne walked to set up a bases loaded situation for freshman Stephanie Dunham. Playing first base in that game, Dunham was able to make her first official at bat of her college career a memorable one as she blasted a 1-2 pitch to dead center field for a grand slam to put the Grizzlies up 6-0.
The Hilltoppers, who fell to 2-3 with the loss, battled back into the game in the bottom half of the inning as they tapped senior pitcher Sarah Lindquist for four runs.
That did not slow down the Grizzly offense as Katelyn Lovato had her first hit of the season when she blooped a triple down the left field line. After a Gallego walk, Rebecca Lindquist blasted a line drive that bounced off the top of the left field fence and back into the field of play scoring Lovato.
Payne used her power later in the inning as she blasted a homer over the left field fence and when it was all said and done, the Grizzlies were up 11-4 heading into the bottom of the second.
After a Hilltopper run in the bottom of the inning that made the score 11-5, neither team would score in the third of fourth frames.  The Grizzlies finally put the final touches on the game as Gallego hit a 3-run double before she scored on a passed ball to put the Grizzlies up 15-5 before another single Hilltopper tally in the bottom of the fifth was not enough to stop the run-rule from being implemented.
Sarah Lindquist got the win in the game as she allowed six runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out two.
In the second game, Katelyn Lovato wasted little time in tying the record, as she was able to lay down a slap bunt to the shortstop and beat the throw to first base on the first play of the game against Upper Iowa.
Jaycee Lovato than got started to work on her record as she was able to get a 2-run single before Dunham and Rebecca Lindquist pushed two more runs to put the Grizzlies up 4-0 after the top of the first.
The fact that the Grizzlies got an early lead did not stop the Peacocks (1-1) as they jumped on senior pitcher Marissa Elsberry in a hurry and tacked five runs on the board to take a 5-4 lead.
But the valiant Grizzly offense did not stay down for long as they tacked on four runs in their half of the second inning including two homers. The first was a 2-run homer by Jaycee Lovato to bring her RBI total up to four runs at that point, while Payne followed with a first-pitch homer to center field as the Grizzlies had their first back-to-back homers of the season.
With the Grizzlies up 8-5 headed into the bottom half of the second inning, a shaky Elsberry gave up some early base runners before head coach Dervin Taylor elected to bring in freshman Taylor Johnson to minimize the damage.
The damage was minimized as only three runs scored and the game was tied at eight heading into the third inning.
The Grizzly offense then just set up their offense perfectly for success. Freshman Jennie Archambault singled to center field, while Katelyn Lovato had a bunt single before Gallego had a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Rebecca Lindquist, who is normally feared for her power-hitting, put down a bunt and was safe after the pitcher decided not the risk throwing the ball and allowing a run to score.
So with the bases loaded, Jaycee Lovato came out and blasted the ball to left center field to break the former record of 7 RBIs in a game, a feat that had happened three times before, mostly recently by Heather Ebert in 2008, as the Grizzlies took a 12-8 lead after 2 ½ innings.
In the top half of the fourth inning the Grizzlies stayed with the theme as they put up a 4-spot for the fourth straight inning.  After a single by sophomore DJ Consonero , junior Melinda Velasquez came in to pinch run. Katelyn Lovato was the next batter and she was able to blast a line drive to the right center field wall. The speed of Velasquez and Lovato put pressure on the defense as they flew around the bases and with an offline throw to home plate, Velasquez scored. Katelyn Lovato, who was already at third, saw the ball get away and took off for home and slid in safely before the a tag could be applied.
Jaycee Lovato and Rebecca Lindquist than got on base, setting up a 2-run double by Payne, which finished the game’s scoring.
Johnson, who got her first career win, shut down the Peacock offense in the game as she went on and only gave up two runs on six hits and one walk while striking out three in four innings of work.
Katelyn Lovato, had two balls, in Saturday night’s first game, before receiving a pitch that she drove down the left field line that fell in front of Marauder left fielder Jenna Button for what everyone thought was going to be a single.  However, Lovato saw the opening and turned up her speed and turned it into a double.
Lovato then scored, after she advanced to third on a passed ball, on an Gallego single up the middle as the Grizzlies improved to 3-0 on the young season with the shutout win that dropped the Mauraders, now 2-1, from the ranks of the unbeaten.
All three of the Grizzlies’ wins have come via the run-rule.
Sarah Lindquist had a stellar performance in the pitching circle as she picked up her first shutout since her freshman year (2008), allowing just five runners to reach base while giving up just three hits.  She also struck out six batters and improved to 2-0 on the year while earning her 35th career win.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies cranked out 14 hits, including four doubles, and received a 3-run homer and five RBI by senior Jaycee Lovato, the record setter’s older sister.
Six different Grizzlies, including Jaycee Lovato, who went 2-for-4, had two or more hits in the game.
Gallego went 3-for-4.
After Katelyn Lovato’s initial run, neither team was able to score again until the bottom of the fifth inning when Jaycee Lovato hit her third homer of the young season to deep center field after Gallego and junior Rebecca Lindquist had both singled up the middle.
Then after a walk and the lone error of the game at the start of Mary’s 6th inning, Sarah Lindquist set down the next three Marauder batters, setting up a bizarre and dramatic end to the game.
After a 1-out single by Carly DeLorenzo in the Grizzly half of the sixth, Katelyn Lovato hit into a fielder’s choice but reached first safely. With two outs, Gallego then pushed her over to second base when she singled up the middle bringing Rebecca Lindquist to the plate with two runners on.
As the at bat proceeded, Lindquist swung at the third strike that was dropped by Mary catcher Desiree Smith, charged with her second passed ball of the game. As the Marauder defense started to leave the field, the Grizzlies’ two runners (Lovato and Gallego) and the batter (Lindquist) slowly made their way to the next base before the defense realized what was going on. By the time the Marauders headed back out to get the ball, the speedy Katelyn Lovato was halfway home and scored with ease.
So with runners at first and second, Jaycee Lovato then nailed a double to center field to bring the two more runs in. The next Grizzly batter, Payne, then hit a single up the middle bringing in pinch runner Archambault to score the game-clinching run.
The Adams State College softball team, than collectively ran into a buzz-saw on Saturday night in the form of the Augustana College (S.D.). Katelyn Lovato was held to an 0-for-3 effort as the Vikings and junior pitcher Chelsey Durand gave up just one hit in an 11-0, 5-inning run-rule win over the Grizzlies, who entered the contest with a 3-0 mark.
The Vikings, now 5-0, clinched the tournament title with the win, highlighted by a 7-run second inning barrage.
Augustana, which went 46-14 last year while winning its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Regular Season title, received home runs from Theresa McMahon, Kelsey Kalman and Durand in the game, their last of the massive 24-team, 60-game tournament being played on six fields.
The Grizzlies, still a solid 3-1 after averaging 13 runs while hitting .461 as a team in their three wins, will wrap up the weekend with a Sunday clash against the 1-2 Minot State (N.D.) Beavers, slated to start at noon PST (1 p.m. Mountain).
Lovato had her first chance at extending her record but grounded out to short to begin the game.  Gallego one of just four Grizzlies to reach base, then reached on the Vikings’ lone error before Durland recorded the first of seven strikeout to get out of the inning.
Elsberry,  who suffered the loss in the circle for the Grizzlies, allowed just one hit herself in the bottom of the first, ended by a nice lineout double play turned by junior shortstop Rebecca Lindquist.
Durand then gave up a 1-out walk in the top of the second before her teammates did the offensive damage in the bottom half of the frame.  Chelsi Winskowski started the inning with a single up the middle before Kalkman homered to left center.  McMahon then also added a 2-run homer after a Grizzly error before a 2-run Traci Fransen double and a Winskowski 2-bagger, her second hit of the inning, plated Fransen with the final run of the inning.
Durland then helped herself with a solo shot to left to start the bottom of the third before the Grizzlies put on a little bit of a rally in the top of the fourth as Rebecca Lindquist walked before redshirt freshman Payne singled.
However, Durland got out of the jam before three more Viking runs in the bottom of the fourth made the score 11-0.
Durland then set down the Grizzlies in order in the fifth as Lovato struck out for the second time ending the game and her hitting streak, that fell just three games shy of the NCAA’s All-Division record of 44, set by Heather Bortz of Division III Moravian (Pa.) in 2003 and 2004.  Sara Graziano of Division I Costal Carolina had the NCAA’s only other longer streak than Lovato, as she recorded hits in 43 straight games during the 1993 and 1994 campaigns.
Lovato’s older sister Jaycee also saw her 19-game, multiple-season hitting streak come to an end after striking out twice.  That streak was tied for second longest in the Grizzlies’ available full statistical history (1997-Present).
Lindquist also saw a 16-game hitting streak, tied for fourth longest in that span, snapped after she went 0-for-1 before drawing the fourth inning walk, one of just two that Durland gave up.
The Grizzlies were scoreless until they blasted seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning before scoring the final two runs in the bottom of the fifth for the walk off win on Sunday, were led by senior pitcher Sarah Lindquist who got her third win of the season.  During the weekend, Lindquist had a 2.25 ERA for the 16 innings pitched, she had eight strikeouts while giving up four earned runs. On Sunday, Lindquist gave up two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out two.
The game started out shaky for the Grizzlies as leadoff hitter, Kyla Thiesen, nailed the third pitch of the at bat down the left field line for a home run. However, Lindquist was able to get help with some amazing defensive plays to keep the game on reach for the Grizzlies as she shut down the Beavers for the next three frames.
Then, in the fourth inning, the trouble started for the Beavers and pitcher Mandy Greenber. After a fielding error by the shortstop to allow Gallego to reach base, junior Rebecca Lindquist replaced her on the base paths after she hit into a fielder’s choice. Senior Jaycee Lovato singled to center before redshirt freshman Payne to load the bases.
Dunham then fired the first shot as she hit a double to left center to score two runs. Junior Lizzy Schossow hit a ball to shortstop but she was able to reach first base when the shortstop tried to get the runner out at home plate. Erin Myers  however, was able to slide in safely and a smart Schossow rounded first and safely made it to second on the throw.
Freshman Tayler Else than got money ball and singled up the middle and advanced to second on a throw that tried to nail Schossow who scored on the play behind Dunham.
Sophomore Katelyn Lovato reached base on a slap bunt to the third baseman, before she utilized her speed to steal both second and third base. Gallego then doubled to left center moments later to bring Lovato around.
After the Grizzlies’ seven run, five hit inning, the Beavers were able to get one run only for the ASC to take control and win the game in the bottom of the inning.
Minot State made a pitching change but that did not matter at all, as Jaycee Lovato singled through the left side before Payne doubled to right center. The two runners advanced on a passed before Dunham singled to centerfield and Payne scored. With the score 9-2, the Grizzlies set up the offense perfectly.
With Dunham at first, Schossow hit a double to center field to put runners on second and third. After a team meeting on the mound, the Beavers decided to intentionally walk Else. So with the bases loaded freshman Archambault hit a fly ball that bounced off the fence to score the winning run.
With the win the Grizzlies are now 4-1 on the season and will be looking to continue their success next weekend at the NSIC/RMAC Crossover Tournament in Rochester, Minn., which will start on Friday afternoon when the Grizzlies take on St. Cloud State (Minn.) at 3 p.m. CT (2 p.m. MT).

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