SEATTLE, Wash. – The North Dakota softball team dropped a contest on Thursday night to No. 17 Washington by a score of 8-0 in five innings from Husky Softball Stadium. NoDak falls to 19-10 on the season, while Washington improves to 23-6.

UND registered just three hits compared to 11 from the Huskies, with the hits coming from Aleksia Severson, Taya Hopfauf and Makenna Alexander.

Tehya Armstrong picked up the loss on the evening, throwing 2.0 innings, giving up five runs (four earned), while walking one and striking out one. Unity Nelson tossed the third and fourth innings, giving up just one run and three hits, as Tegan Livesay tossed 0.1 innings, giving up two runs and three hits in the fifth.

How It Happened
North Dakota's best opportunity to score came in the top of the first inning, when Camryn Lasota started the game with a leadoff walk, which was followed by a Severson single, that sent Lasota to third base, giving the Hawks runners on the corners with nobody out and Hopfauf coming to hit.

Hopfauf hit into a 3-2 fielders choice, where Lasota was thrown out at the plate by the first baseman, putting runners at first and second with one out and Katelyn Neumayer coming to bat.

Following a Neumayer fielders choice, that got Hopfauf out at second, NoDak had runners at first and third with two outs and Hailey Bethune coming to the plate. Bethune grounded out to the pitcher, as UND stranded two on base.

The Huskies made UND pay, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first on three hits, to give them a 3-0 advantage.

Washington scored two more runs in the bottom of the second, to make it 5-0, when the Hawks had another chance to score in the top of the the third inning. Severson got on with a two-out walk, which was followed by a Hopfauf bloop single, giving NoDak runners on first and second with Neumayer coming to the plate. She struck out looking, keeping the score at 5-0.

North Dakota would not get a base runner the rest of the game, as UW tacked on a run in the bottom of the fourth and two runs in the bottom of the fifth, to run rule NoDak, 8-0 in five innings.

The Hawks will be back in action on Friday for a double header against Portland State on ESPN+. First pitch times are set for 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. CT.

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