GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Jackie Albrecht tossed a complete game one-hitter as North Dakota softball claimed Saturday's Summit League series opener with Kansas City 4-1, and the Hawks held off the Roos in the seventh inning of game two to win 4-3 and claim the series as the first day of action at Albrecht Field is officially in the books. The series win, the Hawks' first in league play this season, moves UND's overall record to 19-18 and evens its Summit League record at 4-4.
 
Albrecht's day saw the Barrington, Illinois native move into the win column for the first time this season after allowing just a single hit, to the lead off batter of the game, and scattering seven walks, while striking out seven. The right hander stranded two runners in the top of the first, worked a clean second and left Roos on in each of the next five innings with the top of the fourth ending via a 6-4-3 double play: one of several impressive defensive plays by the Hawks on Saturday.
 
The Hawks provided plenty of run support for Albrecht in the opener with Callie Honig and Camryn Lasota each recording two hits and an RBI, while Hailey Bethune delivered two RBI in the victory. Honig doubled twice as the Hawks hit five in the win.
 
Bethune doubled in the first two runs in Albrecht Field history as Honig and Lasota were each plated in the home half of the second. An inning later, Honig doubled home Taya Hopfauf and Lasota followed with an RBI single to chase home Honig for a 4-0 UND lead. A sacrifice fly by the Roos in the sixth served as the lone tally for the visitors in the series opener.
 
The Hawks struck first in game two as Lasota (2^nd) and Hopfauf (3^rd) delivered sacrifice flies in consecutive innings for a 2-0 UND advantage. Katelyn Neumayer followed Hopfauf in the third with an RBI single to back the start of Makaela Carr.
 
Carr won for the eighth time this season and Unity Nelson picked up her first career save. Carr went 6.0 innings scattering six hits and two walks, while fanning five to run her season total to 80. She carried a perfect game with one out in the fifth before the Roos' Briona Woods homered to put KC on the board and cut the deficit to 3-1.
 
The Roos added two more runs in the sixth inning as a bases loaded walk cut the KC deficit to 4-2, while a third run scored on an RBI single off Woods' bat, but the game-tying run was cut down at the plate as Quincie Chunestudey fired to Hopfauf for the third out.
In the seventh, the Roos utilized a sacrifice bunt against Nelson to push runners to second and third with one out. A walk loaded the bases, but a 5-3 double play, Bethune stepping on the bag and firing to Neumayer, emphatically ended the threat and capped an exciting opening day at Albrecht Field.
 
The Hawks close out the series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. first pitch and will eye their first series sweep of the season. Live coverage links for the series are available at www.FightingHawks.com.
 
For more information on North Dakota softball, visit FightingHawks.com or follow on social media @UNDsoftball.

Postgame Notes

• UND matched its single game high in doubles with five in the game one win (Rutgers, 3/8)
• The Hawks turned two double plays on Saturday to run their season total to five
• Joten, Honig and Hopfauf recorded hits in each game for active two-game hitting and reached base safely streaks
• Makenna Alexander recorded her fourth multi-hit game of the season in game two
• Albrecht moved 17 strikeouts away from becoming the fourth UND arm with 400 career strikeouts
• Joten is three hits away from 100 for her career as a Fighting Hawk
• The Hawks move to 2-0 all-time at Albrecht Field