HELENA, Mont. - A nearly two-hour lightning delay in the third inning of Saturday afternoon's opener seemingly sparked the Carroll Softball team's bats, as they proceeded to score 20 runs in a pair of wins to take their weekend series with Dakota State on Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium.

GAME ONE: Carroll 11 - Dakota State 0 (Five Innings)

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With a runner on second and a 2-2 count on Sammie Labrum (Kalispell, Mont. / SR), the opening game was sent into a lengthy delay due to continued lightning strikes in the Helena area. One-hour and 52-minutes later, play finally resumed.

An error in right on the first pitch back from the break kick-started a big inning for the Fighting Saints (14-12, 9-7), scoring Kati Slater (Yamhill, Ore. / SR) for the game's first run. Madison Walker (Ridgfield, Wash. / JR) and Carlee Smith (Blackfoot, Idaho / JR) came up with back-to-back singles, and Taylor Sayers (Helena, Mont. / SO) drove the pair in with a ringing double to left-center. Slater capped the big inning with another 2 RBI double, this one to right, and Carroll suddenly found themselves with a 6-0 lead.

Carroll continued their hot-streak at the plate in the fourth frame, adding five runs on six hits. Labrum, Brooke Thompson (Billings, Mont. / JR), Sayers, Jasmine Barela (Beaverton, Ore. / JR), Kate Kofstad (Salem, Ore. / SO), and Riley Simone (Cody, Wyo. / SO) all got in on the fun, blowing the game wide open.

McKinley Ermshar (Battleground, Wash. / SO) backed-up her big performance from yesterday's late game, allowing just one hit and one walk, while punching-out six Trojan batters in her five-inning win.

GAME TWO: Carroll 9 - Dakota State 2

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The Saints picked-up right where they left off in the opener, putting-up a crooked number in the first inning of the finale. Kati Slater pulled a single into right field, and then Taylelynn Puyleart (Meridian, Idaho / FR), Labrum, and Thompson each blasted RBI doubles in the 2-3-4 holes behind her. Taylor Sayers drew a walk, and Carlee Smith brought her home with one more double for good measure as the Saints put up five runs on five hits while batting around the order.

Dakota State got runs back in the second and third, cashing-in on a lead-off walk and hit-by-pitch, trimming Carroll's lead to 5-2.

The Saints' bats woke back up in the fourth. Carroll added three runs on three hits, with Sayers and Madison Walker coming away with RBI's to stretch the lead to 8-2. 

Carroll threatened to end things via run-rule in the late innings, loading-up the bases in the sixth with a pair of singles and intentional walk to Thompson. Madison Walker added another RBI with a sac-fly to deep center, but that was the final damage of the frame.

Kennedy Venner (Billings, Mont. / SR), who got the rare game four start, made quick work of the Trojans in the seventh, closing the book on her five-hit complete game that featured seven strikeouts.

Carroll will return to the turf next weekend for their final home series of the 2026 season, hosting Valley City State on Friday and Saturday afternoon. Friday games are slated for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., while Saturday is set for 12 p.m. and 2 p.m.