ATHENS, Ga. -- The University of North Dakota softball team split a pair of games in Athens, Ga. to close out the UGA Classic on Sunday afternoon. UND (8-13) opened the day with a walk-off victory over East Carolina, 4-3, to notch its second straight win over the Pirates before falling, 4-0, to No. 18 Georgia in a tightly-contested battle.
North Dakota 4, East Carolina 3
After jumping out to a 3-0 lead after one inning,
Chevelle Sartin delivered a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh to defeat ECU, 4-3.
Alexys Campos came around to score the winning run after a one-out triple in the frame before Sartin came through the knock to win the game.
Caitlyn Shumaker continued her torrid pace on the weekend with a hit and two runs batted in while
Jocelyn Kirk and Sartin also drove in runs. All four hitters in the top of the order came around to score, with Campos and
Madi Moore also collecting hits.
Jannay Jones was solid in the circle once again with a complete-game victory. The junior allowed just six hits and two earned runs while striking out four to move to 4-3 on the season.
UND wasted no time in jumping out to an early lead, with a fielder's choice, single and walk loading the bases with just one out for Shumaker. The freshman came through with a single to drive home a pair and give the Hawks a 2-0 advantage. Kirk made it 3-0 just two batters later with an RBI single to left field to drive home
Madison Pederson and start the game off strong.
East Carolina chipped away with a run in the third, fourth and fifth to knot the game up at three to send the game into the seventh deadlocked. UND came up clutch in the frame when Campos laced a triple into left center before Sartin lifted a ball into center to bring home Campos and win the game.
No. 18 Georgia 4, North Dakota 0
North Dakota held strong against the No. 18 team in the nation, but the Bulldogs prevailed with a 4-0 win on Sunday afternoon to close the UGA Classic.
UND was limited on the offensive side to just one hit, with Campos providing the knock to post her ninth straight game with at least one hit.
Lauren Feld pitched a strong game in the circle against one of the nation's top teams, completing five innings of four-hit, one-earned run ball while
Adrianna Dilal closed out the game with an inning.
Georgia took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second before adding a third in the ensuing stanza to carry a 3-0 lead into the final innings. The Bulldogs hit a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth while holding off the Fighting Hawks in the top of the seventh to hang on for the win.
North Dakota heads to Gainesville, Fla. to battle Florida at 7 p.m. on SEC Network.
