PHOENIX, Ariz. – North Dakota softball split Saturday's action at the Littlewood Classic earning an 8-7 win over Utah Valley in the day's first game, before falling 5-0 to host Grand Canyon in the nightcap. UND moves to 5-4 on the season.
 
In Saturday's opener, North Dakota held Utah Valley off the scoreboard in the latter's first two trips to the plate, while the Hawks struck first offensively in the home half of the second inning as Katie Joten's second double of the game plated two to give UND an early advantage.
 
Camryn Lasota worked into the third inning where the Wolverines managed to break through offensively with a five-run frame on four hits. Three of the five UVU runs were pushed across with two outs in the inning.
 
As they have multiple times throughout the young season, UND responded offensively. A half inning later, the Hawks struck for six runs on seven hits to take an 8-5 lead. North Dakota used RBI singles from Makenna Alexander, Taya Hopfauf, Brooklyn Morris and Callie Honig and a two-run double off the bat of Joten which was sandwiched in the middle of that run production to grab a lead that they would not relinquish.
 
UVU would scratch single tallies in the fifth and sixth innings but were denied in their biggest run-scoring opportunity which came in the fourth inning as Unity Nelson pitched out of a bases loaded jam to keep the Hawks' three-run lead intact through four frames.
 
The Hawks suffered a setback in the nightcap as host Grand Canyon plated three runs in the third inning and two more in the fifth, while holding UND to just two hits and striking out 11 Hawks. Morris connected on a wall-banging double in the first inning, her team-leading fourth two-bagger of the campaign, but was left stranded. Alexander singled with one out in the fifth.
 
Jackie Albrecht got the start against GCU and tossed 2.2 innings with four strikeouts, while Tehya Armstrong worked the final 3.1. The Hawks benefited from several key defensive plays early as Alaina Foreman raced in to snag a liner in left field and then fired to Angie Dumlao at second to double up the Lopes and end the first inning. Taya Hopfauf gunned down a potential base stealer at second for the first out of the second inning, while Albrecht recorded a punchout for the third out in the second to leave Lopes at the corners. Armstrong left the bases loaded in the GCU sixth.
 
The Hawks close out their stay in the desert with a single contest on Sunday. North Dakota battles the B1G's Washington, ranked No. 25 nationally, at 10 a.m. in Tempe. Live stats for the matchup will be available at www.FightingHawks.com.
 
Postgame Notes

• Joten's four RBI in the win over UVU marks her third career four-RBI game
• UND set a season high in defensive assists with 11 against UVU
• The Hawks both hit and allowed a season high three doubles against the Wolverines
• Nelson earned her second win of the season following her relief effort against UVU
• UND was shutout for the third time this season in the loss to Grand Canyon
• The Foreman to Dumlao double play by the Hawks against GCU is the third DP of the season for North Dakota
• The Hawks did not draw a walk vs. GCU marking the first time this season they were held without a base on balls
• Six Hawks carry averages north of .300 through nine games this season
• Five arms have recorded 6.0+ innings in the circle through nine games with Makaela Carr and Lasota combining for over half of the 58.0 innings
• Morris (3) and Alexander (2) carry active hitting streaks into Sunday's action against Washington
• A win on Sunday would give the Hawks the program's best ten-game start to a season since 2017

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