SEATTLE – It was the team in kelly green that shined on St. Patrick's Day as the University of North Dakota softball team posted a pair of victories over Portland State and Seattle U to close out the Seattle University Invitational on Sunday afternoon.
 
With the wins, UND snaps its four-game losing skid and moves back to just two games under the .500 mark at 15-17. The Fighting Hawks also close the tournament portion of the regular season schedule, finishing with a mark of 13-15.
 
North Dakota 5, Portland State 4
North Dakota jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and used a fourth inning RBI single from Marina Marzolino to defeat Portland State, 5-4, to open Sunday's action in Seattle and notch the sixth win in the last nine meetings vs. the Vikings.
 
A trio of Fighting Hawks tallied multi-hit games, led by Kayleen Schneider and Marzolino's two-hit, RBI afternoon. Schneider was joined by Ashlynn Uvila's two-hit, one run scored day to help spark the eight hits by the Hawks. Alyssa Rios led the squad with a pair of RBIs, driving in two with a double in the second inning.
 
Nikki Pica pitched three solid innings, but was saddled with a no decision following a tough fourth inning. The junior allowed four unearned runs in the frame on a pair of hits and three UND errors, but Emily Rosas picked up her teammate with another strong performance in relief. Rosas tossed the final 3.2 innings, allowing just one hit and a walk while striking out two and keeping the Viks off the scoreboard for her fifth victory of the season.
 
After a scoreless first, UND jumped on the board with a four-spot in the bottom of the second to quickly build a lead. The Hawks did all their damage with no outs, as the first five hitters reached to bring around the tetrad of runs. After Uvila singled and Victoria Minor followed with a walk, Schneider took a 3-2 pitch into center field to bring home Uvila and move Minor to third to get the green and white on the board. An error allowed Lexi Mayhood to reach and advance to second while Minor scored and Schneider moved to third to extend the lead to 2-0 and place a pair in scoring position. There, Rios doubled on the first pitch she saw to right center to bring both runners home and stretch the advantage to 4-0 after two innings.
 
Following a four-run response by PSU in the top of the fourth, UND took the lead right back in the bottom half of the frame with some timely hitting. Lyndsay Hathaway led off the inning with a bunt single, but looked to be stranded on second with two outs until Marzolino singled to left field to restore the Hawks' advantage heading into the fifth.
 
Rosas shut down the Vikings over the next three innings, limiting them to just a single in the sixth and a lone baserunner via an error in the seventh inning as the freshman sealed the 5-4 win for UND.
 
North Dakota 5, Seattle 1 (8)
In a pure pitchers' duel, UND broke out with five runs in the top of the eighth inning to jump past the host-Redhawks, 5-1, in the day's finale.
 
Both teams had a combined six hits through the first seven innings of the contest, but the Fighting Hawks finally found their offense in the eighth inning to post their second extra-inning win of the season.
 
The top of the order was deadly in the latter innings for UND, as Marzolino's two-run home run to extend the lead to 3-0 proved to be the difference maker in the win. The senior reached twice in the game, tallying a walk to go along with her homer in three at-bats. Jailene Carpio tallied the lone multi-hit game for the Hawks, reaching a total of four times with two hits and a pair of walks.
 
Jannay Jones was the story for the Fighting Hawks, as the freshman starred once again in the circle. Jones tossed all eight innings, surrendering only five hits, one unearned run, and four walks while striking out six to earn her team-best seventh win of the season. The outing is her 10th this season allowing fewer than two runs and her fourth start over her last five with at least six strikeouts.
 
Neither side really threatened throughout much of the seven scheduled innings, but the UND defense turned a pair of double plays in the sixth and seventh to thwart any threats and send the game into extras.
 
Hathaway started the top of the eighth on second, in accordance with the NCAA's extra inning rule, and was brought home just two batters later as Carpio laced a single to left field to give UND a 1-0 lead. Marzolino increased the advantage to 3-0 with her first home run of the season on a 2-2 pitch as the senior blasted the ball over the center field wall to add a crooked number on the scoreboard for the visitors.
 
The pressured kept coming for UND as the next three batters reached to load the bases with only one out. A passed ball allowed Angel Love to score before an error by the shortstop brought Dani Romero home to push the lead to 5-0 heading to the bottom of the eighth.
 
Seattle U brought home a run in the frame, but Jones shut down the remainder of the Redhawk offense as UND sealed the sweep with a 5-1 win.
 
North Dakota will enjoy a week off from action before heading to Las Cruces, N.M. for a three-game series vs. New Mexico State beginning next Saturday.