The defending champs are back in the championship again. 

The University of Minnesota Duluth softball team defeated Minot State University 2-0  in the semifinals of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Friday afternoon at Bowden Field in Sioux Falls, SD. The win sets up a championship sized rematch from a year ago for the Bulldogs, who will play Augustana University on its home field Saturday at 12:00 p.m. for a chance to defend its conference tournament title.

The Bulldogs improved to 41-14 on the season with the triumph and passed the 40 win mark for just the third time ever in program history, tying the second-most wins in a season of 41 set in 2012-13. UMD returns to just its third NSIC title game since 2002, and does so in back-to-back fashion.

UMD looked every bit like a team that had been in the postseason push before, and despite a quite two opening innings by both sides, the Bulldogs picked up a run – in what would become the game-winning run, in the bottom of the third frame. Senior second baseman Julia Gronholz, who had three RBI's in Thursday's quarterfinal, picked up where she left off the day before. With Kat Burkhardt on base after a single up the middle, and advanced to second after Morgan McMillian's single down the left field line, Gronholz hit a ground ball through the left side and scored Burkhardt from second base. The Bulldogs took the early lead despite McMillian, who had tried for third on the play, being thrown out and ending the inning.

UMD's defense delivered two fly outs and a ground out in the top of the fourth, and put UMD back at the plate. The second batter up, senior Elle Potts, unloaded her fifth home run of the season, a single shot that doubled the Bulldogs advantage to 2-0 – more than what UMD would need to secure its place in the Saturday final.

UMD was tested in the top of the sixth when MSU had runners on second and third, but Gronholz got a pop fly and third baseman Khendal Johnson picked up the ground ball and threw out Abby Lohse at first. It was more of the same for UMD in the top of the seventh, with a MSU ground out to shortstop, a strikeout by senior pitcher Lauren Dixon and a fly out to right field that surrounded a single hit by the Beavers to help the Bulldogs douse the Beavers hopes of late any game heroics.

Dixon improved 23-5 overall on the season, and threw four strikeouts for the Bulldogs in her second complete game of the tournament and 23 of the season. 

Saturday's rematch between the Vikings and Bulldogs looms large for both sides. Augustana swept the Bulldogs earlier in the season but it was UMD that downed the Vikings twice last year in the NSIC Tournament to clinch the title. Game time for the title tilt tomorrow is set for 12:00 p.m.

BULLDOG NOTES: Senior pitcher Lauren Dixon is just one game away from tying her own record for single-season shutouts … Dixon is sitting at 10 now, one off of the 11 she recorded last season … as a team, UMD has now held its opponents scoreless in 15 games … the Bulldogs have won in every game Elle Potts has homered in this season – a perfect 4-of-4 … the senior now has 15 in her career … UMD is 2-8 in its last t0 games against Augustana … both wins came against the Vikings last season in the NSIC Tournament … the Bulldogs drilled top-seeded Augustana 4-0 in the semifinal round on May 5, 2023 before snuffing out the Vikings completely in the championship game 9-0 on May 6, 2023 … both games were held in Rochester, Minn. … UMD lost earlier in the season to Augustana in the St. Cloud Dome on March 29 by scores of 4-1 and 3-2 … Dixon pitched the first game (4-1) loss, while sophomore pitcher Alyssa Williams pitched the second game (3-2) loss … Khendal Johnson was the lone Bulldog to post multiple hits in the series with two.