Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ROSEMOUNT, Minn. - Playing late into the night, the Cougars (10-10, 6-1 UMAC) swept Northwestern (7-13, 3-3 UMAC) to improve to .500 for the year on Saturday. Sam Hanson allowed just one run in seven innings in the opening game of the double-header as she stranded six Eagles on base. In the second game, the Cougars built up a 5-1 lead before hanging on for a 6-3 win.
 
GAME ONE
Hanson helped her own cause with a second inning homer to center, putting the Cougars up 1-0, in game one. Cassie Sowada walked and then scored on Mandy Allman's triple to right field, putting UMM up 2-0. Northwestern got a run back in the top of the third but Minnesota Morris came right back. With two outs Molly Olson drew a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball. Hanson again helped herself out by doubling to left, allowing Olson to score from second. Hanson would end up stranded at third but the Cougars got back their two run lead, a lead they did give up again. On the mound Hanson would allow just one runner past second base in the final four innings as Morris held on for the 3-1 win.
 
GAME TWO
Mackenzie Weatherly allowed four base runners to reach in top of the first inning but none got past second base, keeping the Eagles off the scoreboard. Brooke Decker singled to lead off the Cougars bottom of the half first inning and scored on Olson's groundout to short. Weatherly then did allow a runner past second in the second, third or fourth innings. Minnesota Morris doubled their lead in the bottom of the fourth as Kelsey Draper led off with a single to start the threat. Ashley Splonskowski pinch ran for Draper and immediately stole second base. Kristy Hoge moved Splonskowski to third with a groundout before Splonskowski scored on an Eagles' error.
 
Weatherly again worked out of a jam in the top of the fifth. Northwestern filled the bases with one out and got a singled to left to draw within one. The bases were still loaded but Weatherly induced a grounder back to second, Allman threw home to Olson, cutting the Northwestern runner down at the plate. With two outs Olson caught the runner on third off base and got Weatherly out of the jam.
 
Draper hit a two run homer in the bottom of the fifth to make it 4-1 but the Cougars were not done there. Hoge reached on an error and advanced to third on the play, she would then score as Laura Lhotka singled to left.
 
Northwestern attempted a comeback as they scored two unearned runs in the top of the sixth to cut the lead to 5-3. Decker would single and scored in the bottom of the sixth to give the Cougars an insurance run, as Olson drove her in with a single.
 
Hanson would replace Weatherly on the mound and picked up the save as she worked around an error and hit to earn the save.