AUBURN, Ala. – A stellar effort in the circle by redshirt junior pitcher Kaylin VanDomelen propelled the UND softball team to a 2-1 win over Yale on Sunday morning for the final day of competition at the Tiger Invitational.

“We won and we'll always take a positive result, but our process must be better,” head coach Jordan Stevens said after the win. “This is an important week of practice for us to get better.”

North Dakota improves to 7-8 on the season with the win, while the Bulldogs drop to 0-4.

Yale actually opened up the contest with a run in the first inning off of one hit and one error to take the early lead. Fortunately for UND, it would be the only run Yale would score all day.

The Bulldogs held UND without a hit through the first two innings, but the Fighting Hawks broke out in the bottom of the third to take the lead with two runs off of three hits.

UND started off the inning with two quick outs, but VanDomelen got on base with a single to get things going on offense. Taylor Nadler followed up with a double to score VanDomelen, and freshman Dani Romero hit her own double which allowed Nadler to cross home and give UND the 2-1 lead.

After getting North Dakota on the board, VanDomelen went back to work in the circle and shutdown the Bulldogs for the remainder of the contest to record her second win of the season. She recorded nine strikeouts in the game, including six after UND took the lead to start the fourth.

The game also marked the third complete game this season that VanDomelen has not given up a single earned run. She now holds a 1.62 ERA on the year through 39 innings pitched.

North Dakota returns to action next weekend, March 3-5, with five games in Conway, S.C., in part of the Coastal Carolina Tournament.