OMAHA, Neb.-- The University of North Dakota softball team earned its first-ever Summit League win in a doubleheader split at Omaha Saturday. UND took the conference opener, 3-1, before the Mavericks rallied to salvage the split in the nightcap, 10-8.

GAME 1
UND (16-23, 1-1) got going in the third inning on a two-out rally. Jailene Carpio set the table with a double down the leftfield line and scampered to third on a wild pitch. Deja Miller cashed her in with a single to left for the game's first run. 

The Fighting Hawks struck for two more in the top of the next frame, this time to start the inning. Marina Marzolino was hit by a pitch to start the rally then back-to-back doubles by Victoria Minor and Kayleen Schneider made it 3-0.

That would be more than enough run support for Jannay Jones, who earned her eighth win in the circle as the freshman went the distance, allowing just one earned run on four hits while striking out seven.

UND scattered five hits, all from different batters. 

GAME TWO
North Dakota again took the early lead but was forced to play catch-up the rest of the way after a five-run second for the Mavs. UND got a pair in the second on RBI singles from Alyssa Rios and Carpio for a 2-0 advantage. 

Omaha (3-28, 1-4 Summit) scored four of those unearned runs with two outs in that second stanza to build a 5-2 lead. An Angel Love double got one back for the Hawks in the third but three more Mavs runs in the fourth helped them compile an 8-3 edge.

UND did not relent, however, scoring two in the fifth and three more in the sixth to inch back within a pair. That fifth inning saw Love single with one out to set things in motion. She later scored on Minor's single to left and Schneider scored the second run with a sacrifice fly to plate Jocelyn Kirk, who had reached on a double. 

In that three-run sixth, UND had the first two batters reach with Rios being hit by a pitch and Carpio singling to left. Marzolino brought the first run home on a double to center and Miller scored on a wild pitch. Kirk then hit a sacrifice fly to ake it 10-8, but Omaha was able to wiggle free without further damage, stranding a runner and working out of a two-out hit in the seventh to earn the win. 

Each team collected a dozen hits in the second game with five different UND players with multiple knocks: Carpio, Miller, Love, Minor, Rios. 

The series concludes Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Central. 

NOTES
*North Dakota earned its first-ever Summit League win in it sfirst game in its new conference. 
*Omaha had held a 53-4 advantage in the all-time series coming in. 
*Carpio extending her current team-high hitting streak to five. 
*Miller and Love each recorded their team-best 10th multi-hit game of the season in game two.