GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Freshman pitcher Hannah Bergh pitched her second-straight complete game and earned a 6-4 win against Southern Utah on Friday afternoon, giving the North Dakota softball team its first Big Sky Conference win of the season. Unfortunately, the Thunderbirds bounced back to claim game two of the doubleheader by a score of 8-0 in six innings.
After recording a career-high nine strikeouts on Wednesday against South Dakota State, Bergh picked up seven more strikeouts in the win against Southern Utah. Additionally, only three-of-the-four runs were credited against Bergh.
North Dakota jumped out to an early lead against the Thunderbirds, as Emily Bell hit her ninth home run of the season in the bottom of the first. With two out and one on board, Bell drove a shot over the left center wall to give UND the 2-0 lead.
Taylor Hansen then kept the offense going in the bottom of the second, as she hit a home run over the left field wall for a 3-0 UND lead. The solo shot was the first homer of the season for Hansen.
In the bottom of the third, Nicole Babrowksi reached on a bunt to lead off the inning. Jackie Lilek was then give a base on balls to put Babrowski in scoring position. Two outs later, Maria Dendinger hit her 17th double of the season to bring Babrowski home.
Southern Utah got on the board in the top of the fourth, but a passed ball allowed SUU's Kelli Hales to gain third and subsequently score on a ground out as an unearned run.
North Dakota then added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth with the help from a Southern Utah error. With one out and runners on first and second, Bell hit into what would have been a double play, but after getting a force out at third, a throwing error by the Thunderbirds allowed Shelby Hard to score from first base.
With Bell on third after the error, Dendinger stepped up and singled to left field to score Bell and put UND up 6-1.
Southern Utah started to mount a late rally in the sixth, as the Thunderbirds added a solo home run to cut UND's lead to 6-2 heading into the seventh. A two-run homer then cut further into UND's lead in the top of the seventh, but Bergh retired the final SUU batter with a looking strikeout to clinch the win.
In the night cap, UND's offense fell silent as SUU's Ashley Ostler pitched a six-inning shutout with only five hits conceded to UND.
North Dakota and Southern Utah wrap up the Big Sky series tomorrow afternoon back at the Apollo Sports Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. (CT).
