PORTLAND, Ore. – In a pair of close games, the North Dakota softball team went 1-1 on Friday at Portland State from Hillsboro Ballpark. UND dropped the first game of the day, 1-0 and won the second affair, 3-2. The Fighting Hawks now sit at 20-11 on the season, while Portland State is 9-17.
Game 1 – Portland State 1, UND 0
The Hawks were no-hit for the second time this season, but were able to draw four walks. The Vikings registered just five hits, scoring the lone run in the bottom of the seventh on a UND throwing error.
Unity Nelson gave it her all in the circle, throwing 6.1 innings, allowing one run (zero earned) on five hits, while she walked four and struck out four. She recorded seven ground outs.
How It Happened
The first real chance at a score was in the bottom of the sixth for the Vikings, when they drew two 2-out walks, to put runners at first and second. Nelson dug deep and got the next batter to strikeout, sending the game to the top of the seventh.
In the top of the seventh,
Quincie Chunestudey drew a two-out walk. She ended up stealing second and advanced to third on a throwing error.
Chloe Bethune then drew a walk, putting runners at the corners for
Brooklyn Morris. Morris then fouled out to third base, keeping the score tied.
The Vikings put together back-to-back singles to start the bottom of the seventh, giving them runners on first and second with no outs. A Portland State sac bunt, advanced batters to second and third with one out.
Breanna Lutz came to the plate, grounding the ball to
Hailey Bethune at third base. Bethune's throwing error allowed Lutz to reach, bringing in the game-winning run for Portland State. The Vikings took game one, 1-0.
Game 2 – UND 3, Portland State 2
The Hawks outhit the Vikings 10-3 in the second contest, led by
Katelyn Neumayer who was 3-for-4 in the game, good for her third three-hit game of the season.
Taya Hopfauf and
Brooklyn Morris each had two hits.
Tegan Livesay moved to 9-4 in the circle, tossing her ninth complete game of the season. She threw 7.0 innings, allowing just three hits and two runs (one earned). She walked five and struck out five, while forcing 11 ground outs.
How It Happened
North Dakota left 11 runners on base, including three in the top of the first. Portland State struck first in the bottom of the inning, taking a 1-0 lead.
The score stayed put at 1-0, up until the top of the sixth inning, when Lasota lined a two-out RBI double, to drive in Morris from first base to tie the score at 1-1.
After a scoreless bottom of the sixth, UND scored two more in the top of the seventh on two hits.
Hailey Bethune knocked an RBI sac fly put the Hawks up 2-1, while Valdez's two-out RBI single was a massive insurance run, putting the Hawks up 3-1.
In the bottom of the seventh, Livesay struck out the first batter, before the next hitter got a single. The Vikings then converted a sac bunt, moving the runner to second with two outs.
Grace Johnson came to the plate and had a swinging bunt to third base, in which Bethune made a poor throw to first, allowing the runner from second to score. Off the bad throw, Johnson attempted to go all the way to third base, where she was gunned down by Neumeyer, as Aleksia Severson put the tag on her to end the game. The Hawks were victorious, 3-2.
UND will have its home opener on Wednesday in a doubleheader against Dakota State. Game times are set for 5 and 7 p.m. on the Summit League Network.
For more information on North Dakota Softball, follow on social media @UNDsoftball or visit FightingHawks.com.
