LAS VEGAS – Heading into the 2019 season, Head Coach Jordan Stevens knew that his team would be immediately challenged against top opponents and the University of North Dakota softball team performed well against strong competition over the final two days in the Marucci Desert Classic in Las Vegas.
 
After falling to host-UNLV, 10-1, in five innings, the Fighting Hawks (1-4) responded with a pair of tough back-to-back defeats vs. Southern Utah, 7-6, late Saturday night and Seton Hall, 6-4, on Sunday morning.
 
UNLV 10, North Dakota 1 (5)
Taking on the hosts of the tournament, North Dakota took an early lead but the Rebels (4-0) answered with 10 consecutive runs to remain perfect with a 10-1 triumph over the Fighting Hawks in five innings.
 
Angel Love and Victoria Minor were both dynamic at the plate for the visitors, each recording a pair of hits. Love slapped an RBI double in the top of the first to bring home the lone run of the game for the Fighting Hawks.
 
Making her first collegiate start, Emily Rosas allowed six runs on eight hits, struck out a pair, and walked one in 3.2 innings of work. Angeline Riley pitched the final inning for UND, surrendering a tetrad of runs while walking four.
 
Southern Utah 7, North Dakota 6
In a wild, back-and-forth affair, Southern Utah (1-3) rallied with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to complete the comeback with a walk-off victory over UND, 7-6, on Saturday night.
 
A game that featured four lead changes, the Fighting Hawks jumped in front, 6-5, in the top half of the seventh when Dani Romero launched a 3-2 pitch out of the park; however, the Thunderbirds rallied with a one out single to tie the game before a walk-off hit batter with the bases loaded gave SUU the victory.
 
Three Fighting Hawks recorded a multi-hit game, led by Jocelyn Kirk's two hit, two RBI, home run, and two runs scored night. Minor also continued her strong evening with a pair of hits, RBI, run scored, and a walk to reach base a team-high three times. Kayleen Schneider was the final UND player to tally a multi-hit contest with a pair of knocks and a run driven in.
 
Nikki Pica made her second start of the season, pitching into the seventh inning for the second straight outing. The junior hurled 6.2 innings, allowing seven runs (five earned), seven hits, two walks, and striking out five.
 
After SUU took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, Pica did not allow a hit over the next two innings as the Fighting Hawk offense went to work in the top of the fourth.
 
Love led off the inning with a double to left before Kirk followed with a single two batters later to place runners on the corner with only one out. On the very next pitch, Minor drove a pitch into right field to score Love and cut the deficit to 2-1. A Schneider single loaded the bases for Ashlynn Uvila, who was called upon to pinch hit, and the sophomore was struck by a 1-2 pitch to bring home the tying run.
 
Southern Utah broke the deadlock in the bottom half of the inning with a two-run home run to put the T-Birds up 4-2, but UND turned to the long ball for an answer in the top of the fifth. After Romero reached on a fielder's choice, Kirk tied the game on one swing with a blast to left field for the first home run of the season for UND. Minor followed with a single on the very next pitch before Schneider's seeing-eye single evaded the center fielder and allowed Minor to come home all the way from first to give the Fighting Hawks a 5-4 lead heading to the bottom of the fifth.
 
The lead didn't last long, as SUU knotted the game again in the bottom half of the inning, but both sides were held scoreless in the sixth to send the game to the seventh tied at five.
 
Both teams traded blows in the seventh, but the pair of runs by Southern Utah in the bottom half of the inning gave the Thunderbirds the 7-6 victory.
 
Seton Hall 6, North Dakota 4
Seton Hall rallied for six straight runs, including a five-run third inning, to rally past North Dakota, 6-4, on Sunday morning to close out the Marucci Desert Classic.
 
The trio of Schneider, Kirk, and Minor sparked the offense for UND, each recording at least one RBI. Schneider tallied another multi-hit game to lead the Fighting Hawks while Kirk added a pair of runs batted in.
 
Jannay Jones started her second game of the season in the circle, but was lifted in the third inning after allowing four runs on three hits, walking two, and striking out one. Pica pitched the remaining 3.2 innings, surrendering two runs and striking out five.
 
North Dakota got on the board first, striking for a tetrad of runs to build an early 4-0 lead. After an error allowed Lindsay Hathaway to reach and a walk to Love, Kirk laced a two-out double to center to drive in the pair and put the Hawks up 2-0. Kirk came around to score on the next pitch, as Minor's groundball couldn't be fielded by the third baseman and allowed everyone to reach. Following a stolen base by Minor, Schneider roped a double to left center to bring home the fourth run of the inning, all coming with two outs.
 
Seton Hall took control from there, scoring five runs in the fourth inning to quickly take a 5-4 lead. The Pirates added a sixth run on a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth to push the advantage to 6-4 and held on for the victory.
 
North Dakota returns to action next weekend with a trip to Mobile, Ala. for the Southern Alabama Jaguar Challenge, opening up the tournament on Friday vs. Tulsa (2 p.m.) and at South Alabama (6:30 p.m.).