WINONA, Minn. – In a battle of two of the three teams tied for first place going into the day, Winona State (33-8, 14-2 NSIC) swept Minnesota Duluth (28-12, 12-4 NSIC) on Thursday afternoon. The Warriors bats came alive in game one, winning 5-0. Jordyn Kleman threw her third no-hitter of the year in game two and the Warriors walked off with a 1-0 victory.
 
GAME ONE
Nowak's Homer Sparks Warriors
 
Minnesota Duluth loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the fourth inning. A fielder's choice kept UMD off the board through one batter. Another fielder's choice, this time to second, kept the game scoreless. With two outs McKenna Larsen fielded a comebacker and threw out the runner from third at home to keep the Bulldogs off the board.
 
Lani Van Zyl led off the bottom of the fourth with a double off the wall in center, giving WSU a runner in scoring position. After Mariah Schultz got hit for the second time in the game and 18^th time this season, both she and Van Zyl moved up a base on a sac bunt by Shaye Witte. Alison Nowak brought everyone home with a homer to left center, giving WSU a 3-0 lead.
 
The Warriors added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth when Schultz drove in Van Zyl with a single up the middle. Van Zyl had reached by hitting her second double in as many innings. Nowak drove in her fourth run of the game, singling home Schultz.
 
Larsen finished off the Bulldogs, pitching around a pair of hits. The Warriors finished the game with 11 hits in the game.
 
GAME TWO
Kleman Records Third No-Hitter
 
The Warriors were the first team to threaten in the game, loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the second. Much like WSU got out of a bases loaded jam in the first game, UMD returned the favor, inducing three ground ball outs to keep the game scoreless.
 
Jordyn Kleman continued to shut down the Bulldogs, holding them without a hit through four innings. Nowak led off the bottom of the fourth with a single through the right side, putting WSU in business. The Warriors would put runners on second and third after a sac bunt by Aly O'Herron but could not score.
 
As the game entered the bottom of the sixth the game was still scoreless and WSU sent up their five hitter to start the inning. The Warriors would get a runner on but could not get the runner home.
 
Kleman pitched a no-hitter through seven innings, giving the Warriors a chance to close it out in the bottom of the seventh. Sam McLean started the seventh with a single up the middle. Witte sacrificed her to second before a pop out gave UMD a pair of outs. Larsen came through for WSU, driving in McLean with a single to left field.
 
In her third no-hitter of the season Kleman struck out ten and walked just one.