FARGO, N.D.-- North Dakota State used late rallies in both ends of a doubleheader to earn a Summit League sweep of North Dakota Saturday at Tharaldson Park. The Bison outlasted UND, 3-2, in 11 innings in the opener before scoring four in the sixth to claim a 5-3 win in the nightcap.
GAME 1
North Dakota State 3, North Dakota 2 (11 innings)
The opener was scoreless through the first five innings with both starting pitchers working effectively. UND starter
Jannay Jones allowed just two hits through five while the Fighting Hawks scattered five hits off of NDSU starter Lainey Lyle. The sixth inning was when both offenses opened up.
In the top of the frame, UND
Alexys Campos singled to open the inning, one of her four hits on the afternoon. She advanced to second when
Jailene Carpio reached on a fielder's choice sacrifice bunt and both runners moved up on
Madi Moore's sacrifice.
Madison Pederson then ripped a single down the left field line to score one and then
Katie Bierstedt was hit by the pitch with the bases loaded to plate another for a 2-0 North Dakota advantage.
NDSU answered, however, in the bottom of the frame to tie it at 2-2. The Bison threatened again in the seventh, but
Nikki Pica came on with a runner in scoring position and left her stranded on a groundout to short, moving the game to extra innings.
Pica only allowed a leadoff single in the eighth and struck out three until the 11th, when the Bison got back-to-back doubles to walk it off. Pica took the tough-luck loss, working 3.2 innings with just the one run on three hits and three strikeouts. Jones' line read 6.2 IP with seven hits allowed, two runs and a pair of strikeouts.
Pederson was 3-for-5 in the opener with an RBI while
Jocelyn Kirk went 2-for-5 with Campos and Moore adding the other UND hits.
GAME 2
North Dakota State 5, North Dakota 3
In game two, UND got the bases loaded in the first, but NDSU starter Paige Vargas worked free of the jam to keep it scoreless. Her offense gave her a single run in the bottom of the inning and NDSU led until the top of the fourth when the Hawks plated three.
In that inning,
Chevelle Sartin singled to get things started. Campos recorded a one-out single then Kirk followed, singling to center and loading the bases. Carpio then singled through the right side to score a pair and push UND in front, 2-1. The Hawks added another as Kirk came around on a wild pitch for a 3-1 advantage.
That held up until the sixth when four of the first five batters reached for NDSU. The Bison would score four in that frame to reclaim the lead, 5-3. Vargas, despite giving up a dozen hits to UND, would earn the complete-game win after stranding a runner in scoring position in the seventh.
Carpio, Sartin and Campos all contributed three hits in game two.
Lauren Feld took the loss for UND, going 5.1 innings with four earned runs on five hits and five walks with one strikeout.
The wins moved NDSU into sole possession of second place in the Summit League standings. UND held its spot in the final playoff spot with six games to play in the regular season. The same two teams square off again Sunday at Tharaldson Park with the first pitch scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
