STOCKTON, Calif. – The University of North Dakota softball team dropped a pair of highly-contested contests to Pacific on Thursday afternoon to close out its nine-game stretch in the state of California.
 
UND (13-15) saw its four-game winning streak come to an end with back-to-back defeats, as the Fighting Hawks fall back under .500 after climbing back to even earlier this week for the first time since early February.
 
GAME 1: Pacific 6, North Dakota 5
North Dakota rallied for five runs in the top of the sixth, but Pacific responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame to hold on for a 6-5 win in the opening game of the doubleheader.
 
Marina Marzolino provided the big hit for the Fighting Hawks in the upper half of the sixth inning, clearing the bases with a 3-RBI double to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 lead for the visitors. The hit was one of a team-high two for Marzolino while Alicia Young also reached twice in the loss with a pair of walks.
 
Emily Rosas earned the start in the circle, but was pulled after only 1.1 inning after allowing five hits, three runs, and a walk to earn the no-decision. Nikki Pica pitched the remainder of the game and was stuck with her sixth loss of the year. The junior tossed 4.2 frames of six hit, three run ball while walking one and not recording any strikeouts.
 
Pacific jumped out to an early 4-0 lead after just three innings, giving the Fighting Hawks plenty of time to start to mount their comeback. It wasn't until the sixth, however, that UND made its move.
 
After Alyssa Rios and Victoria Minor started with a pair of one-out singles and Lexi Mayhood was struck by a pitch to load the bases, Kayleen Schneider got the Hawks on the board with a sacrifice fly to pull the visitors within three, 4-1, with two away. On the next pitch, Lyndsay Hathaway cut the lead down to 4-2 with a perfectly placed bunt that allowed everyone to be safe before Jailene Carpio followed with a walk to load the bases for Marzolino. There, she blasted the 0-1 pitch to left center to clear the bases and push the green and white in front, 5-4, heading to the bottom of the sixth.
 
The lead did not last for long as Pacific rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame to take the lead, 6-5, moving into the final inning of play. UND was retired in order in the seventh to give the Tigers the victory.
 
GAME 2: Pacific 2, North Dakota 0
The Tigers plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the third while their pitching shutdown the UND offense to post a 2-0 victory in the second game of the doubleheader on Thursday afternoon.
 
Five-different Fighting Hawks recorded hits with Marzolino also reaching via a walk while the Tigers were also limited to just five hits and a walk in the contest.
 
Jannay Jones was strong in the circle again for UND despite being handed her fifth loss of the season, surrendering just five hits and two runs over six innings of work. The freshman also struck out six and walked just one to allow two runs or less for the ninth time in 14 appearances this season.
 
After the first 15 batters were retired in order, Pacific broke through with a two out, 2-RBI single to push the Tigers in front, 2-0, after three innings of play. UND nearly cut the deficit in half in the top of the fifth, but Angel Love was thrown out trying to score from second following a Mayhood single to keep the lead at two. The Hawks had a final chance to cut into the lead in the top of the seventh, but could not get the tying runs home as Pacific held on for the sweep.
 
North Dakota returns to action on Saturday with a pair of contests in Seattle. First, the Fighting Hawks will battle former Big Sky Conference rival Portland State at 1 p.m. before taking on Seattle University at 3:30 p.m.