GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota softball team took the field at Apollo Park for the final time Saturday, splitting the doubleheader with Kansas City. The Fighting Hawks took game one of the day, 2-1, while the Roos won the series finale 4-2.
 
G1: UND 2, KC 1
After three and a half scoreless innings, the Fighting Hawks were the first to cross home plate off the bat of Taya Hopfauf. Johanna Rodriguez reached base on a walk, and pinch runner Kaycee Hayes stole second to move into scoring position. Hopfuaf came through for the Hawks with a single up the middle, scoring Hayes, and placing herself in scoring position by advancing to second on the throw home. The aggressive base running by Hopfuaf paid off, as she was brought home on the next at-bat with a Cassie Castaneda single to center field.
 
For the second day in a row, Albrecht and Camryn Stickel squared off in the circle and similar to Friday's contest, they both pitched a pair of gems. Albrecht tossed her 14th complete game of the season, allowed just five hits, one earned run and struck out three Roos. The Hawks scattered three hits off Stickel, while the Roos' ace struck out four and walked just one batter.
 
The Roos scored their lone run against Albrecht in the sixth inning, but UND's ace responded with a groundout in the next at-bat to end the frame holding on to the 2-1 advantage. After a single to start the top of the seventh, Albrecht forced a pair of ground outs back to herself, and after an interference call on one of the runners, UND closed out the 2-1 victory.
 
Castaneda's hit, which would serve as the game winning hit, was the third game in a row the catcher had recorded a hit. It was Albrecht's third straight complete game and seventh in her last eight contests.
 
G2: KC 4, UND 2
Looking for the Saturday sweep, the Fighting Hawks were the first to appear on the scoreboard in game two, plating a pair of runs in the bottom of the second. Castaneda led off with a single and moved over to second base after Mariah Peters walked. Brooklyn Morris came through for the Hawks with a single up the middle, scoring Castaneda and moving Peters over to third. It wouldn't take long for Joten to cross home plate, as Katie Joten brought her in with a sacrifice fly to left field.
 
It was a dominant second inning for NoDak, as Makaela Carr retired the side in order on three swinging strikeouts.
 
The Roos got a run back in the third and then grabbed the lead in the fourth, plating three runs to go up 4-2. Camryn Lasota entered the game in relief at the end of the inning and provided solid innings out of the bullpen, allowing just two more hits over the final three innings with zero runs.
 
The Hawks tallied two hits across the final innings but couldn't find the game tying runs and fell in the series finale 4-2.
 
The Fighting Hawks will be the No. 5 seed in the upcoming Summit League Tournament and will face No. 4 seed South Dakota in the first game on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. at Jackrabbit Softball Stadium in Brookings, S.D.
 
Postgame Notes

• Jackie Albrecht pitched her 14th complete game of the season and seventh of her last eight games
• Castaneda extended her hit streak to four games
• The Hawks end the season with a 7-7 record at Apollo
• Today was UND's last game at Apollo Park and will play their home games at the newly built Albrecht Field beginning next season

 
How It Happened 
Game 1
4th | UND | Taya Hopfauf singled up the middle, and advanced to second on the throw, scoring pinch runner Kaycee Hayes from second base
4th | UND | Cassie Castaneda drove in Hopfauf with a single to center field to take a 2-0 lead
6th | KC | Briona Woods singled to right field to plate the runner from second base
Game 2
2nd | UND | Brooklyn Morris singled to center field and drove in Castaneda from second base
2nd | UND | Katie Joten drove in Mariah Peters from third on a sacrifice fly to take a 2-0 lead
3rd | KC | Abby Husak beats the throw on an infield single to score the runner from third to cut the UND lead to 2-1
4th | KC | Lauren Parker singled to left field, advanced to second and scored two runs after a fielding error
4th | KC | Abby Husak drove in Parker on a single up the middle to take a 4-2 lead

For more information on North Dakota softball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDsoftball.