Minnesota’s softball team started its fall campaign with a doubleheader split against Concordia-St. Paul at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium on Friday.

The Gophers won the opener 6-0 on the strength of a five-run fifth inning, highlighted by a home run from catcher Megan Higginbotham in support of winning pitcher Katie Dalen.

Concordia won game two 4-1. Freshman Briana Hassett took the loss for the Gophers.

Win in Carlton

Minnesota’s women’s cross country team won Saturday’s Pine Hills Invitational in Carlton by a point over North Dakota.

With the Gophers’ top runners taking the weekend off in preparation for this coming Saturday’s Pre-NCAA meet, the team was led by freshmen.

Freshman Carie Steil was the top Minnesota finisher, taking third overall with a time of 22 minutes, 33 seconds on the five-kilometer course. Her classmate Ariella DePrenger-Gottfried was the second finisher on the team, clocking in at 22:37, good for fifth overall.

Senior Natalie Timmers, the Gophers’ fifth finisher, passed a North Dakota runner with 150 meters remaining in the race to provide the margin of victory over the Sioux.

Swimming takes opener

Minnesota’s women’s swimming and diving team defeated Kansas 168-32 on Saturday at Robinson Natatorium in Lawrence, Kan.

The dual meet was the Gophers’ first of the season. Senior Katie Wind and freshman Yuen Kobayashi both won a pair of individual events.

Wind took the 100- and 200-yard backstroke titles, while Kobayashi won the 200 and 500 freestyles.

Minnesota won 10 of the 16 events contested in the dual meet.