GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota Softball team made their 2023 home debut Friday as they took on Western Illinois in the final weekend of the regular season. UND took game one 8-7 on a walk off two run double by Katie Joten and in game two won 8-3 behind five unanswered runs to close the game. Camryn Lasota picked up her first UND win in game one while Savannah Rodriguez took the loss, and in game two Jackie Albrecht got the win in a complete game while Emily Price took the loss.

In game one, Baylee Howley got the scoring started in the second inning with an RBI double to left center, which brought Madison Pederson in to score. In the third inning, Cassie Castaneda singled to right which brought in Madi Moore to score. After a scoreless fourth, WIU tied it up with runs in the fifth and sixth innings. But in the bottom of the sixth, Joten got the first of her two two-run doubles as she drive a ball to right center that brought Moore and Taya Hopfauf in to score. Castaneda followed with a double that brought Joten in to make it a 5-2 game.

WIU put five across the plate in the top of the seventh, which set up bottom of the seventh heroics for UND. Moore got a one out single to third base, which brought Howley in to score. Next up, Joten drove a double to deep left center to bring pinch runner Kaycee Hayes in and Moore followed for the winning run.

In game two, WIU got off to a two run lead with a two-run home run. But UND answered with three in the bottom of the second behind an RBI single from Howley, an RBI double from Hopfauf and RBI single from Joten.

In the top of the fourth WIU evened it up at three, but in the bottom of the frame Pederson hit a bloop single to shallow right which brought one run in to score and a second scored on the throw. With the score 5-3, UND got insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth as Castaneda hit a two RBI single and then Mariah Peters scored on a wild pitch.

UND will wrap up the regular season with Senior Day tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 pm.

Key Points

·         Cassie Castaneda has now hit safely in nine of her last ten games.

·         14 hits in game one was the second most in a game this season.

·         Joten had five RBIs on the day.

·         Albrecht had nine strikeouts, a season high.

Scoring Summary

Game One

B2 | Howley RBI single (1-0)

B3 | Castaneda RBI single (2-0)

T5 | Rea RBI single (2-1)

T6 | Rodriguez solo home run (2-2)

B6 | Joten two RBI double (4-2)

B6 | Castaneda RBI double (5-2)

T7 | Rea two RBI single (5-4)

T7 | Drager bases loaded walk (5-5)

T7 | Eagan two RBI single (5-7)

B7 |Moore RBI single (6-7)

B7 | Joten two RBI double (8-7)

Game Two

T1 | Luna two run home run (0-2)

B2 | Howley RBI single (1-2)

B2 | Hopfauf RBI double (2-2)

B2 | Joten RBI single (3-2)

T4 | Foote RBI double (3-3)

B4 | Pederson two RBI single (5-3)

B6 | Castaneda two RBI single (7-3)

B6 | Peters scored on wild pitch (8-3)