ST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris softball team completed a three-game sweep of North Central University, winning 13-9 and 12-0 in Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play Wednesday in St. Paul, Minn.
 
The Cougars improve to 5-4 in conference play and 7-14 overall, while the Rams fall to 1-13 overall and 0-5 in the UMAC.
 
Game 1
In the bottom of the first, the Rams attempted to stretch a single into a double, but Courtney Smith made a strong throw from center field to record the out.
 
To lead off the second, Kendra Schmitz doubled down the left-field line. An error allowed Schmitz to score the first run of the game. Another error put Ro Diver on base, and both Smith and Diver stole bases to move into scoring position. The lead grew to 3-0 as Morgan Wilhelm cleared the bases with a single to right field.
 
The lead changed hands in the bottom of the inning as the Rams scored four runs to take a 4-3 advantage, their first lead of the series.
 
Mary Landherr reached in the third with a double and later scored on another NCU error to tie the game. Diver gave the lead back to the Cougars with a single to shortstop, scoring Schmitz. Wilhelm and Johnson then loaded the bases with a pair of walks. GingerAnn Lucas drew a bases-loaded walk to push the lead to 6-4.
 
The Rams pulled within one on a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning. Alyssa Thornton led off the fourth with a walk, and Landherr responded with her first career home run to right-center. Minnesota Morris loaded the bases but left them stranded in back-to-back innings. The Rams tied the game again with three runs in the fourth.
 
Losee led off the fifth with a triple and scored on a Thornton single. Landherr continued her strong performance with another extra-base hit, doubling in the inning. Another run scored on a Schmitz groundout, and a wild pitch brought Landherr home to extend the lead to 11-8.
 
Losee reached on a walk to begin the sixth. Landherr recorded her fourth extra-base hit of the game with another double. Isabelle Derhak restored a three-run lead with a sacrifice bunt. In the seventh, Losee drove in the final run with an RBI single, securing the 13-9 victory.
 
The Cougars totaled 14 hits in the win, with Landherr recording a career-high four hits, including three doubles and a home run. Schmitz added three hits, while Losee and Johnson each had two. Minnesota Morris recorded six extra-base hits, including Landherr's home run, a triple from Losee, and multiple doubles. Eight Cougars recorded an RBI, with Landherr and Wilhelm leading the team with two each. Landherr also scored three runs.
 
Wilhelm started in the circle, pitching four innings with one strikeout to earn the win. Kennedy Biegler picked up the save, pitching three innings and allowing just one earned run.
 
Game 2
Scoring was limited early in the series finale. In the third inning, Losee reached base and advanced to third on a Thornton single. A wild pitch brought Losee home to give UMM a 1-0 lead.
 
Minnesota Morris broke the game open in the fifth inning. Lucas reached on an error, followed by a single from Losee and a walk by Thornton to load the bases. Landherr drew a walk to force in a run, and Schmitz added two more with an infield single. Jillian Anderson contributed a sacrifice fly to left field.
 
The scoring continued as Biegler delivered a two-RBI single, and Waabigwan Wagner recorded her first hit of the season with an RBI single. Wagner later stole home to make it 9-0. In her second at-bat of the inning, Schmitz drew a bases-loaded walk. Anderson capped the inning with a two-RBI single.
 
The Rams opened the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back singles, but Thornton preserved the shutout as Minnesota Morris secured a 12-0 victory.
 
The Cougars totaled 11 hits in the win, with Biegler leading the team with two. Nine other Cougars also recorded hits. Schmitz and Anderson each tallied a game-high three RBIs, while Biegler added two. Minnesota Morris also drew eight walks, with Schmitz, Thornton, and Losee each earning two.
 
Thornton pitched her second complete-game shutout of the season, needing just 46 pitches while striking out four.
 
The Cougars return to action on April 10 when they host the University of Northwestern at 4 p.m.