MISSOULA, Mont. – The University of North Dakota softball team earned its first program win over Big Sky opponent Montana, dropping the Grizzlies, 5-3, in the second game of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. Montana won the first game, 6-2.
“We did a great job today bouncing back in game two,” head coach Jordan Stevens said. “We got a very good performance in the circle, took some great swings, got production throughout the lineup and came up big when we needed to. We got off to a slow start in game one, but started to play better as the game went on, so it was nice that we were able to carry that into the nightcap.”
Hannah Bergh earned the win for UND, with Kaylin VanDomelen picking up the save in the 5-3 victory over the Griz. Bergh threw 6.2 innings, before VanDomelen came in for the final out of the contest, striking out the last batter for her third save of the season. Bergh picked up her seventh win of the year and is now 7-7 this season.
The Fighting Hawks put together 10 hits in the contest to score its five runs. Senior Rachael Waynick continued to lead the way for UND, as she had three hits in the contest and scored two runs. Waynick now holds a team-high .391 average on the season.
North Dakota got on the board first as Waynick hit a two-out single to get on base in the third, before VanDomelen hit her third home run of the season to put UND up 2-0.
In the top of the fourth, a sacrifice fly by Lindsey Harford allowed Marina Marzolino to safely cross home for UND's third run of the game.
Montana ended UND's shutout bid with a lone run in the bottom of the fourth, but in the top of the seventh, Taylor Nadler hit a two-RBI double to left center to score Waynick and Deja Miller to put UND up 5-1.
The Griz mounted a late rally attempt in the bottom of the seventh with two runs on two hits, but VanDomelen came in to save the win for UND.
In the first game of the day, Montana put up five runs off of four hits and two errors to jump out to a 5-0 lead over North Dakota. The Fighting Hawks went on to out-score Montana in the final five innings of the game, 2-1, but it wasn't enough as the opening mistakes cost UND the game, 6-2.
VanDomelen threw 4.0 innings of the first game, only conceding two earned runs. Freshman lefty Nikki Pica threw the remaining two innings, giving up only one hit.
Miller and Marzolino recorded the two runs for UND in the opening games, as both recorded a hit in the contest as well. Waynick led UND with two hits in the game as well.
North Dakota and Montana return to the diamond tomorrow afternoon to finish off the weekend series. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. (CT).
