FRESNO, Calif. – After a pair of tough losses to open the Bulldog Classic on Friday, the University of North Dakota softball team rallied for a split on day two of the action from Fresno, Calif.
 
UND (10-13) dropped Saturday's opener to California Baptist, 8-0, in five innings of action before rallying for a big win over UC Santa Barbara, 4-3, to close out the day and halt the losing streak at three games.
 
California Baptist 8, North Dakota 0 (5)
After the two teams played a thrilling, eight-inning affair just 24 hours ago, the Lancers broke open the contest with a four-run fifth inning to collect an 8-0 win over the Fighting Hawks on Saturday morning.
 
UND was limited offensively against the Lancers again, as the green and white were held to just three hits and without a run for the second straight contest vs. Cal Baptist. The Lancers used a pair of runs in the second and the fourth to build a 4-0 lead before exploding for another tetrad of runs in the fifth to collect the 8-0 win.
 
Deja Miller and Marina Marzolino led the way for UND at the plate, each tallying a double to pace the attack for the Hawks. Emily Rosas suffered her fourth loss of the season in the circle, surrendering four hits and two runs over 1.1 innings of work. Nikki Pica pitched the final 3.2 innings of action, allowing six hits and runs.
 
North Dakota 3, UC Santa Barbara 2
In the day's finale, it was defense and timely hitting that helped push North Dakota past UC Santa Barbara, 3-2, to snap the three-game losing skid and give the Hawks their first win over the Gauchos in program history.
 
Jailene Carpio provided the clutch offense for UND, driving in a pair of runs on a pair of hits. The sophomore broke a 2-2 deadlock the top of the seventh with a two-out, RBI single into left field to drive in what proved to be the game-winning run. Carpio also started the scoring in the top of the third while Dani Romero knocked in the second tally of the game for UND. Miller notched a multi-hit game and scored a run as UND tallied five hits on the afternoon.
 
Jannay Jones twirled seven strong innings in the circle for UND, allowing only two runs and seven hits while striking out six to notch her fifth win of the season.
 
The Gauchos nearly struck in the top of the first inning, putting runners on second and third with just one out, but Jones recorded back-to-back punch outs to escape the jam.
 
UND scored first in the top of the third, plating a pair of runs to take a 2-0 lead. Two straight singles and a throwing error immediately put runners on second and third with no outs before Carpio smacked a 2-2 pitch back up the middle to break the scoreless tie. Romero pushed the advantage to a pair with a sacrifice bunt that allowed Miller to score from third to make it 2-0 UND moving to the bottom of the third.
 
The lead lasted until the bottom of the fifth until UC Santa Barbara tied the game at two with an RBI single; however, UND grabbed the advantage back in the top of the seventh with some clutch, two-out hitting. Jocelyn Kirk led off the inning by being plunked by a pitch before stealing second to move into scoring position. With two away, Carpio turned on the first pitch she saw and laced it into left field to score Kirk and give the Hawks a 3-2 lead.
 
Two singles with only one out gave the Gauchos some life in the bottom of the seventh, but Lexi Mayhood ended the game with a spectacular diving catch at short before throwing to first to complete the double play and seal the victory for the Hawks.
 
North Dakota closes out the Bulldog Classic tomorrow morning with a showdown against former Big Sky Conference foe Montana at 11 a.m.
-- UND --