Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FARGO, N.D. – The University of North Dakota softball team split the doubleheader against inner-state rival North Dakota State. The Fighting Hawks took game one in a nail biter 11-10. The Bison took game two 7-3.

Game 1: NDSU 10, UND 11
Senior Jannay Jones pitched 4.1 innings against the Bison. She started things off in the circle and returned to the mound as the relief pitcher later in the game. She allowed five hits and six runs while striking out two. She improved to 6-14 on the season. Morgan McConnell pitched 2.2 frames as she came in for Jones. She ended the afternoon having allowed six hits and four runs while she struck out two.

North Dakota was the first to make it on the board. At the bottom of the first, Madi Moore led off with a single to shortstop. Jocelyn Kirk stepped up next and singled up the middle to advance Moore into scoring position. Chevelle Sartin stepped up to the plate and hit a sacrifice fly as Moore advanced to third. Lauren Feld singled up the middle, which brought in Moore to give North Dakota a 1-0 advantage with two outs remaining. Cassie Castaneda grounded out as La. Feld advanced to second. Madison Pederson reached on a throwing error as Kirk and La. Feld scored to make it 3-0 at the end of the first.

North Dakota State responded at the top of the second with four runs to take the lead (4-3). The Fighting Hawks tied the game at the bottom of the second. With two outs already on the board, Moore once again singled to place her on the diamond. Kirk stepped up and doubled and Moore scored to make it 4-4.

The battle continued as NDSU took the 6-4 lead in the top of the third. UND started the bottom of the third with La. Feld being walked. Pederson stepped up and reached on fielder's choice. Peters singled to place the Fighting Hawks in scoring position, but they were unable to earn any runs as the Bison secured the remaining two outs.

The Bison added another run at the top of the fourth to make it 7-4. The Fighting Hawks responded at the bottom of the fourth to cut into the deficit. Moore singled to lead off. She advanced to second off a ground out by Sartin. La. Feld doubled to earn the RBI as Moore scored once more to make it 7-5.

The fifth inning saw NDSU add another run to make it 8-5. Pederson stepped up in the bottom of the fifth with a lead-off home run to make it 8-6. Peters singled down the right field line to place her on the diamond. Izzy Haslett followed in the order and reached on a throwing error as Peters moved to second and then third due to the error. Alyssa Rios stepped up to the plate and hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Peters and cut the deficit to 8-7. Moore once again singled to advance Haslett to third base. Kirk singled to earn the RBI single as Haslett scored to tie the game 8-8. Sartin stepped up as UND had only one out and singled to left center to earn an RBI single and allow Moore to score. This run earned UND the 9-8 lead. The Bison secured the final two outs before more damage was done.

The back-and-forth battle continued as NDSU earned two runs in the top of the sixth to retake the lead (10-9). UND started the bottom of the sixth with two outs right away. Haslett singled to right field to place her on first base. Liz Feld was next in the order and singled to left center to advance the runners, but she ended up on second off the throw and Haslett advanced to third. Moore stepped up to the plate and singled yet again to earn the RBI double as Haslett and pinch runner Jagger Datan scored to help UND retake the lead (11-10).

North Dakota earned the first two outs before a Bison was walked at the top of the seventh. Before the Bison could score again, Jones and the defense earned the final run to give UND the 11-10 win.

Moore tied the individual single-game record for most most hits in a game with five, which was last broken by Jailene Carpio at Omaha on March 31, 2019 in 15 innings. She also became the most recent to score four runs in a singular game as she was preceded by Taylor Nadler at Portland State on March 24, 2018. 

Game Two: NDSU 7, UND 3
North Dakota State took an early lead with three runs in the fifth inning, and they were able to hold on as they scored four more runs to earn the 7-3 victory.

Jackie Albrecht was the starting pitcher for the Fighting Hawks as she played 4.1 frames. She had a five-hit, three run game before Morgan McConnell stepped. In her 1.0 innings of work, McConnell allowed two hits and two runs. Closing out the pitching was Lauren Feld who pitched 1.2 innings. She ended the afternoon having allowed one hit and two runs.

Neither team was able to score for the first four innings. The Bison scored three in the fifth to crack the scoreboard. They added a pair of runs in the sixth and a pair of runs in the seventh to take a 7-0 lead headed into the bottom of the seventh.

The Fighting Hawks continued to battle as Sartin led the seventh off with a single to left field. La. Feld was walked to place runners on first and second. Cassie Castaneda singled through left field to load the bases. Madison Pederson grounded out as Sartin scored to make it 7-1 with only one out. Mariah Peters stepped up to the plate and tripled to left center to earn an RBI double as Castaneda and Feld scored. Although they battled, they were unable to catch up as the Bison earned the final two outs to earn the 7-3 victory.

The Fighting Hawks will return to action on Saturday in Brookings against South Dakota State. The doubleheader will begin at noon.