SIOUX FALLS, S.D.--Freshman pitcher Alicia Pearce's second shutout in her last four starts was special for two reasons. Not only did she tie a UND freshman record with her 12th win of the season, but she also pitched the Fighting Sioux into the second day of the North Central Conference Softball Tournament.
The Maple Grove, Minn., native gave up just six hits and one walk while striking out five Vikings to lead the Sioux to a 4-0 victory over host Augustana tonight at Sherman Park. Pearce and the sixth-seeded Sioux now advance to the second day of the tournament and will face No. 4 St. Cloud on Saturday at 9:15 a.m.
The loss was Augustana's second of the tournament, ending the Vikings' season.
UND opened the scoring in the second inning with some help from the Augustana defense. With one out and the bases empty, Sioux left fielder Lindsey Gaustad (Fr., Fergus Falls, Minn.) popped up in foul territory on the third base side. But Vikings third baseman Alicia DeHoogh dropped what appeared to be the second out, giving Gaustad and the Sioux new life. Just a few pitches later, Gaustad drilled a Jessica Cooper over the fence for her fourth home run of the season and a 1-0 UND lead.
The Vikings appeared to be on the verge of taking a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning, but Augie's Ally Rutherford flew out to the center field fence, coming just short of a three-run home run. Augie threated again in the fifth by loading the bases with two out, but Pearce forced Christina Stangl to ground out.
Pearce would only need the Gaustad home run for run support on this day, but the Sioux managed to tack on three more in the bottom of the fifth for good measure. First baseman Nicole Puerling (So., Camarillo, Calif.) drove home Brittny Zavala (Fr., Grand Forks) with an RBI single to make it 2-0, then third baseman Justine Wernick (Jr., Eagan, Minn.) followed with a two-run single to cap the scoring at 4-0.
Cooper took the loss for Augustana to drop to 10-14 on the season. She gave up four runs - three unearned - on seven hits and two walks. She struck out five.
The victory lifts UND's overall record to 22-27, its highest victory total since winning 23 games in 2002.
Notes: This season marks the first time UND has advanced to the second day of the NCC Tournament in consecutive seasons under the tournament's current format ... Puerling is batting .778 (7-for-9) with seven runs batted in after the first three games of the tournament ... Pearce's 12 wins tie the UND rookie record previously shared by Tara Petersen (2003) and Kristi Putnam (1983).
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