MINOT, N.D. – The Winona State softball team blasted nine home runs and scored 24 runs to earn a doubleheader sweep of Minot State Saturday afternoon in windy Minot, North Dakota. The Warriors shut out the Beavers 11-0 in the opener before using a nine-run seventh inning to rally for a 13-6 win in the nightcap.

GAME ONE: WSU 11, MINOT 0

The Warriors scored five runs in the first inning and never looked back to earn the 11-0 victory in the opener. Jamee Schleis homered to left field for the first run of the day, then Chelsey Rodenkirch and Lani Van Zyl each produced RBI singles before Allyson O'Herron had an RBI double. An error on the MSU shortstop allowed Van Zyl to score for the fifth run of the inning.

An RBI groundout by McKenna Larsen in the second and a homer to center field by Van Zyl in the third stretched the lead to 7-0 and the Warriors put the game away in the sixth with four more runs on an RBI single from Paige Keegan and a three-run blast – the third home run of the game – by Natalie Kalmes to make it 11-0.

Hanna Lythberg (14-4) recorded her sixth shutout of the season, scattering five hits – all singles – through six innings.

GAME TWO: WSU 13, MINOT 6

The Warriors used a nine-run seventh inning to rally past the Beavers in a big way as WSU broke out the bats to the tune of six more home runs in game two.

Trailing 6-4 heading into the top of the seventh, the Warriors quickly erased the deficit when Shannon Nelson led off the inning with a single and Reed Karsten brought her home with a two-run home run to tie the game at 6-6. After an RBI single by Natalie Kalmes gave the Warriors the lead, McKenna Larsen went yard with a two-run shot of her own.

The Warriors – and the long ball – was far from over, as Chelsey Roden Kirch blasted a solo home run to extend the lead to 10-6 and Karsten blasted her second home run of the inning with a three-run bomb to center field to put the final touches on the 13-6 win.

Larsen (6-3) earned the victory in relief of starter Alex Walker, tossing 2 1/3 innings while giving up just one hit along with one strikeout.

Karsten finished the game 3-for-5 at the plate with two home runs and 6 RBI.

Winona State (26-10, 8-5 NSIC) plays two more Sunday when it travels to Bismarck, North Dakota to take on U-Mary with first pitch set for noon.