BISMARCK, N.D. - The Carroll College Softball team exploded for 10 runs in their series finale to secure a second day split in their Frontier Conference opening series against Bismarck State at Station Bank Field on Friday afternoon.

GAME ONE: Bismarck State 4 - Carroll 3

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After going down early in the morning game on Thursday, it was the Fighting Saints (6-8, 1-3) who got out in front first on Friday. Brynn Notbohm (Miles City, Mont. / SO) and Madison Walker (Ridgefield, Wash. / JR) led off with back-to-back singles, and Sammie Labrum (Kalispell, Mont. / SR) brought home the game's first run with a sac-fly to right in the opening frame.

The Mystics had a pair of singles in the early stages of the home half of the first as well, and a wild pitch would allow Bismarck State to knot things up at 1-1. The Mystics managed to load the bases followed the run, but Kennedy Venner (Billings, Mont. / SR) picked up a clutch strikeout to end the frame and get out of the jam.

Carroll broke through again in the third inning. Tayelynn Puyleart (Meridian, Idaho / FR) made good on another Notbohm leadoff single, knocking an RBI single of her own to bring home Notbohm for the second time. Brooke Thompson (Billings, Mont. / JR) provided one more run later in the frame, adding to her team-lead with her 10th RBI of the season to give Carroll a 3-1 lead.

A throwing error in the bottom half of the fifth frame let the Mystics right back into the game. With two outs, a long toss trying to stop an advancing runner on a sac-fly attempt would sail astray, allowing a pair of runs to even things back up at 3-3.

Bismarck State completed the comeback in the bottom of the seventh, as Savannah Gustavsson came up with a walk-off solo home run. 

Notbohm, Walker, and Thompson all recorded two hits in the loss, while Puyleart, Labrum, and Carlee Smith (Blackfoot, Idaho / JR) each finished with one hit on the morning.

Venner was solid throughout, while ultimately being pinned with a loss. The senior went 6.1 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits, while striking out eight batters.

GAME TWO: Carroll 10 - Bismarck State 3

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Needing a win to avoid the Frontier-opening sweep, the Carroll bats came to life in a big way in the series finale. The Saints matched their second-highest hit total of the season, with the team combining for 13 hits on the afternoon, leading to their second-highest scoring game of the season.

Much like the Mystics in the opening, the Saints got their first run of the afternoon courtesy of a wild pitch in the top of the second. The BSC mistake would snowball, as Brynn Notbohm blasted a 2 RBI single late in the frame to give Carroll a 3-0 lead.

Taylor Sayers (Helena, Mont. / SO) started another little run for the Fighting Saints in the third, with an RBI single the drove home Sammie Labrum to extend the lead to four. Brooke Thompson reached on a fielder's choice, and Carlee Smith crossed home plate to give the Saints their largest lead of the series at 5-0 heading into the fourth.

Bismarck State got on the board in the fourth inning, scoring one run on one hit in the frame.

Thompson recorded her 12th and 13th RBI's of the year, blasting a two run shot to start the scoring in the fifth inning for Carroll, while Kati Slater (Yamhill, Ore. / SR) and Notbohm added back-to-back RBI doubles later in the frame to blow the game wide open, with Carroll leading 9-0. Slater capped-off the big win in the seventh, scoring on a wild pitch to put Carroll into double-digit runs for the second time on the season.

Mckinley Ermshar (Battleground, Wash. / SO) was stellar in the finale, going the distance with just three runs allowed on seven hits for the win, punching out seven batters along the way.

Thompson and Notbohm were the MVP's of the offense, going 3-4 and 3-5 with three RBI's, respectively, while Sayers and Slater each went 2-4 with an RBI in the program's first Frontier Conference win.

The Saints will be back in action next week, heading North to Great Falls for a mid-week pair against Providence on Wednesday evening.