Autumn Pease's two-hitter gives Gophers softball its ninth straight victory

Autumn Pease threw a two-hitter and struck out seven without allowing a walk as the Gophers softball team beat Michigan 3-0 on Friday at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium for its ninth victory in a row.

Maddy Ehlke drove in two runs for Minnesota (34-16, 15-6 Big Ten) on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and a solo homer in the sixth. Teammate Sydney Strelow led off the sixth with a homer.

Pease, a senior righthander, has won 10 games in a row since April 7.

Albany center picks Tommies

Albany 6-3 junior center Alyssa Sand

recently announced her commitment via Twitter to coach Ruth Sinn and the University of St. Thomas women's basketball team.

Sand had 29 points and 21 reboundsin the Huskies' 74-60 loss to Providence Academy in the Class 2A championship game. Albany finished the season 30-2.

Lauren Dixon pitched a one-hitter with seven strikeouts as Minnesota Duluth beat Augustana 4-0 in the winners' bracket final of the NSIC softball tournament in Rochester.

Corrie Weise had a two-run homer and an RBI double for the Bulldogs (39-11), who reached the championship game for the first time since 2002 — the last time they won the conference tournament.

UMD will play the winner of the Augustana vs. St. Cloud State game at noon Saturday. That game, the losers' bracket final, was suspended by lightning after four innings — with the Huskies ahead 3-2 — and will be resumed at 10 a.m. Saturday. Whoever advances will have to beat the Bulldogs twice to win the tournament.