NORFOLK, Va. – The North Dakota softball team went 2-0 on Friday from NSU softball field in the first day of the Spartan Round Up, with a 3-2 win over Farleigh Dickinson and 9-0 victory over Norfolk State. The Hawks are now 14-8 on the season, winning 11 of their last 12 games.
Game 1: UND 3, FDU 2
UND was held scoreless through the first six innings of the game, registering just two hits, before exploding for three hits and three runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Katelyn Neumayer was the hero, slugging a three-run, walk off RBI double to give the Hawks their fourth-straight win.
The hit battle was tied at 5-5, with Aleksia Severson,
Taya Hopfauf,
Makenna Alexander and
Brooklyn Morris all logging hits, along with Neumayer. UND also drew six walks at the dish.
It was another Tegan Livesay masterclass in the circle, throwing her sixth complete game of the season. She threw 7.0 innings and allowed two runs on five hits, while walking six and striking out seven. She improved to 6-3 on the season.
How It Happened
FDU struck first in the bottom of the second with two hits and two runs. The first three batters reached safely for the Knights, as the bases were loaded with nobody out. Dimitir Milonopoulos from FDU logged a single, driving in two base runners, but the Hawks got a runner out at second base in the process.
With Milonopoulos on second, Livesay struck out the next two batters to head into the top of the third, down just 2-0.
Following a two out
Hailey Bethune walk, NoDak had its first hit in the bottom of the fourth when Alexander roped a single. Following a wild pitch, UND had runners at second and third, when Jaedyn Valdez popped out, keeping the score at 2-0.
UND left two baserunners on in the bottom of the fifth and one on in the bottom of the sixth. Livesay kept the Knights scoreless after the second, including a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, sending the game into the bottom of the seventh, with FDU up 2-0.
Chloe Bethune and
Brooklyn Morris flew out to began the frame, leaving UND to its final out.
Camryn Lasota kept the game going with a two-out walk, which was trailed with back-to-back singles from Severson and Hopfauf, loading the bases for Neumayer.
Neumayer roped an opposite-field double, to bring in Tyler Price (pinch ran for Lasota),
Quincie Chunestudey (pinch ran for Severson) and Hopfauf to give UND the 3-2 walk off win. It was the fifth comeback win of the season for the Fighting Hawks.
Game 2: UND 9, Norfolk State 0 (6 Inn.)
The Hawks made easy work of the Spartans in the second game of the day, scoring five runs in the first two innings. North Dakota outhit Norfolk State, 12-3, led by
Taya Hopfauf, who went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
Hailey Bethune was 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Lasota and
Chloe Bethune each had two hits as well. Neumayer, Alexander and Morris each had a hit in the game.
Unity Nelson improved to 5-3 on the season, tossing her first career complete game shutout. It was the sophomore's fourth complete game of the season, going 6.0 innings, allowing zero runs, while walking three and striking out five.
How It Happened
Hailey Bethune stroked a two-RBI double in the top of the first, to drive in Hopfauf and Lasota, making it 2-0. Bethune advanced to third base on a throwing error. Alexander then drew a walk and was caught stealing going to second base, which allowed Bethune to score from third. UND led 3-0.
In the second, Hopfauf smoked a two-rbi, two-out single, driving in Lasota and Morris, putting the Hawks up 5-0. That score would stay through the fourth inning, with No Dak leading 5-0 after four.
North Dakota tacked on two more in the fifth inning, followed by two more in the top of the sixth, totaling six hits across the two frames. Nelson sat the Spartans down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth, giving the Hawks a 9-0 win.
UND will be back in action for two more games tomorrow against Holy Cross at 9 a.m. and FDU at 11 a.m.
