Hibbing - The Northland Softball team dropped a pair of close games to MCAC Northern Division front-runner Rainy River in International Falls on Saturday, before salvaging a weekend split with a pair of wins over Hibbing on Sunday.
        Saturday's opener was a pitchers's duel between Northland's Lexi Huot and Rainy River's Mariah Leahy. Huot took the walk off loss after allowing four runs (three earned) on nine hits over six and a third innings. Leahy picked up the win after allowing three runs on eight hits over her seven innings of work.
        Both team's offensive firepower were on display in game two as the Voyageurs defeated the Pioneers 11-9.
        Rainy River scored in all but one of its at bats in the game. The Voyagers plated three runs in the first, a run in the second, third and fifth innings and led 6-1 through five innings of play.
        The Pioneers, who scored a run on one hit in the third inning, got to within a run of the Voyageurs with four runs on three hits in the sixth inning to make the score 6-5.
        The Voyageurs answered with five runs on two hits in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 11-5.
        The Pioneers pushed four runs across the plate on five hits in the top of the seventh but it wasn't enough to extend the game.
        Rainy River improved to 8-0 in Northern Division play with the win, while Northland fell to 4-4.
        The Pioneers were back in action at Hibbing on Sunday and they once again found themselves trailing early. The host Cardinals scored five runs in the bottom of the second and they answered a three-run top of the third for the Pioneers with a pair of two-run innings in the bottom the third and bottom of the fourth.
        Trailing 9-3 through four innings, the Pioneers rallied to get within a run of the Cardinals with a five run fifth and they took an 11-9 lead with three more runs in the top of the sixth. 
        Northland pitcher Shawna Larson, who entered the game in the third inning in relief of starter Hailee Harris, settled in after shaky start. Larson pitched a pair of scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth, and limited the Cardinals to one run in the seventh to preserve the 11-10 win.
        The Pioneers stayed hot at the plat in game two. Huot, Grace Minten, Isis Johnson and Kia McGlynn doubled, Desiree Lawrence tripled and Minten hit a grand slam.
        Following a scoreless first  inning, the Pioneers plated six runs in the second, 10 runs in the third and two more in fourth on their way to a dominant 18-1 win.
        With the win, Northland is 7-8 overall and 6-4 in MCAC Northern Division play.