After tying the second most wins in a single season in program history, the University of Minnesota Duluth softball team saw its eight-game unbeaten streak finally snapped Saturday and its season to come to an end in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship. 

The Bulldogs fell 9-0 in six innings to top-seeded Augustana University on its home field of Bowden Field in Sioux Fall, SD. UMD – the 2023 NSIC Tournament champions – and playing in their first back-to-back NSIC title game in more than two decades, had four players chosen for the 2024 NSIC All-Tournament Team. Those players were senior pitcher Lauren Dixon, senior second baseman Julia Gronholz, sophomore left fielder Morgan McMillian and senior DH Elle Potts.

Ever the pitching duel expected with the league's top-two pitchers on the mound, the opening three innings fit that bill, with the Viking's Grace Glanzer striking out six and Dixon putting down three of Augustana's batters. 

Despite singles from McMillian in the first and Potts in the second, as well as a monster triple from Julia Gronholz in the third, UMD struggled to cross home plate. The Vikings finally did just that in the bottom of the fourth, a double to right center by Ashton Dorman that scored Torri Chute.

UMD again went three and out in the top of the fifth, and the Vikings tacked on two runs with a two-run home run to take a 3-0 lead. The Bulldogs offense just couldn't get started, and after Augustana got three-straight outs against UMD in the top of the sixth frame for a third-straight inning, the Vikings' bats exploded for six hits, including a home run from the first batter Gracey Brink in the bottom of the sixth. From there, the Bulldogs surrendered hits, and Augustana ended the game early with a three-run home run from Kennedy Buckman to seal the 9-0 final.

Dixon threw 105 pitches and five strikeouts, and finished the season with a 23-6 record overall and the owner of a plethora of Bulldog career records. Glanzer ended with just 79 pitches thrown and nine strikeouts for the Vikings, who out hit UMD 11-3 in the game.

UMD finishes the season with a record of 41-15, its second-straight season with 40 or more wins and an appearance in the conference tournament title game.

BULLDOG NOTES: UMD's four all-tournament selections turned in strong numbers on the week … Dixon threw 17 strikeouts in 19.2 innings and 301 pitches thrown with one shutout game … Gronholz recorded hits in all three games for a total of four, which included a triple, and hit a team-best four-RBIs … the second baseman also had nine putouts and four assists on defense … McMillian, who ended the season on a five-game hitting streak, registered five hits in the tournament, including a double and a triple in nine at bats while recording three putouts and three assists … Potts added two hits, and RBI and a home run to earn her selection.