UJ Jimmies Sweep Dragons for First Conference Wins of the Season

Coming off eight straight conference losses, the University of Jamestown softball team finally broke through Friday, sweeping Minnesota State Moorhead in a doubleheader at the Nelson Family Bubble to claim the Jimmies' first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference victories of the season.

Jamestown won the opener 6-2 before taking the nightcap 5-1 against the Dragons, who came in at 3-30 on the season. Weather pushed both scheduled games from Moorhead to the Nelson Family Bubble on the UJ campus, with Minnesota State Moorhead designated as the home team for both contests despite making the trip to Jamestown.

Junior Katie Falk drove in three runs and went 3-for-4 in the opener, headlining an attack that put Jamestown out front 3-0 before the Dragons could answer. Madelyn Webb matched Falk's production at the plate, also going 3-for-4. Senior pitcher Abby Blair closed out the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, earning her third save of the season and preserving the 6-2 final.

The Jimmies carried the momentum into the second game, where Maddie Spaeth took over. Spaeth drove in three runs, starting with a two-run single in the first inning that put Jamestown on the board immediately. The Jimmies outhit the Dragons 12-3 in the nightcap and chased Minnesota State Moorhead starter Bella Hess after just three innings on the way to the 5-1 win.

The sweep moved Jamestown to 21-12 overall and 2-8 in NSIC play. While the conference record still reflects a difficult start to life in the NSIC, Friday's doubleheader marked the program's first two wins in the conference since joining as a provisional member, and the momentum heading into the rest of the slate could prove significant. NSIC conference record determines postseason eligibility in NCAA Division II, meaning every win from this point carries added weight for the Jimmies.