GRAND FORKS, N.D. – In a pair of games that featured strong pitching and defense, the University of North Dakota softball team split a doubleheader vs. South Dakota State on Saturday afternoon at Apollo Sports Complex.
 
UND (20-31) crosses the 20-win plateau for the 12th time in program history and the fourth time since moving to Division I in 2008. This also marks the third straight year the Fighting Hawks have won at least 20 games.  
 
Game 1: South Dakota 2, North Dakota 1
In their first game of a home series against the Jackrabbits, the Fighting Hawks were unable to rally back, after SDSU took a late one-run lead. Freshman Jannay Jones bested her career high in strikeouts with 10 over a complete seven innings in the losing effort.
 
Lexi Mayhood got the bats going for UND in the bottom of the second inning. With her third homer of the year, Mayhood gave the Fighting Hawks an early 1-0 lead. Neither team scored again until the top of the fourth inning, where South Dakota State tied the game with a lead-off double and an RBI single. The Fighting Hawks were able to limit the damage to one run, stranding two SDSU runners on base.
 
SDSU kept it rolling in the top of the sixth inning, scoring the go-ahead run on an RBI double. UND managed to save a run, tagging the runner out at home plate off a ground ball to the pitcher. Despite the defensive effort, the Fighting Hawks were unable to get anything going in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving the Jackrabbits a 2-1 victory. UND was limited to just seven hits in the loss, led by Jailene Carpio's three from the top of the order. Mayhood finished as the only other Fighting Hawks to reach base multiple times as she drew a walk and homered.   
 
Game 2: North Dakota 3, South Dakota State 1
Nikki Pica surrendered just four hits, two walks, and struck out five over seven innings of work to shut down the South Dakota State offense in a 3-1 victory to close out the afternoon. The junior didn't allow a run through six, but the Jackrabbits brought the tying run to the plate after two hitters reached in the seventh before Pica ended the game with her fifth strikeout.
 
Carpio was dynamic at the plate once again in the finale on Saturday, hitting the first pitch she saw over the wall in center to quickly give the hosts a 1-0 advantage. Victoria Minor also finished with a pair of hits on the afternoon for UND, as the green and white slugged out nine base hits compared to just four for the Jacks.
 
A series of hits and a single from Ashlynn Uvila loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth for the Fighting Hawks, but a well-turned double play by the Jacks on a sacrifice fly attempt ended the inning. UND managed a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend their lead. A Minor single scored Marina Marzolino before some smart baserunning allowed Uvila to score from third on a stolen base by Marzolino to give the Fighting Hawks a 3-0 lead heading to the final frame.  
 
The Jackrabbits worked to mount a comeback, getting a couple of hits and scoring one run in the top of the seventh before Pica escaped the jam to seal the Saturday split.
North Dakota and South Dakota State will conclude their series on Sunday morning from Apollo Sports Complex beginning at 11 a.m.