GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Taya Hopfauf drove in a career-high six RBIs on Sunday afternoon to lead the North Dakota softball team past South Dakota, 9-1 in five innings from Albrecht Field. UND improves to 25-17 on the season and 2-7 in conference play, while the Coyotes drop to 11-30-1 and 3-8 in Summit Play.

Hopfauf came through with runners in scoring position on three separate occasions, going 3-for-4 at the plate with an extra base hit. Her two-out three RBI double in the bottom of the second inning gave UND a 5-1 lead. She also called game with the walk off RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.

Overall, UND was 4-for-12 with runners in scoring position, with five different Hawks recording a hit. Along with Hopfauf's three hits, Makenna Alexander and Brooklyn Morris each went 2-for-2 with a 1.000% on-base percentage in the contest. Jaedyn Valdez and Katelyn Neumayer each tallied a hit, to go along with the Hawks drawing seven walks on the day.

Tegan Livesay picked up the win in the circle, improving to 11-6 on the season. The junior tossed her 12th complete game of the year and third-straight overall, going 5.0 innings and allowing just one hit. She gave up zero earned runs, walked five and struck out two.

How It Happened
UND fell behind 1-0 early on, when Livesay gave up a leadoff infield single to Autumn Iversen. Iversen then stole second based, advanced to third base on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch all in the span of three pitches, to put USD up 1-0.

Livesay walked the two-batter in Ella McGee and threw a wild pitch passed Hopfauf, advancing McGee to second base. McGee then stole third base, before Brooke Carey hit a ground ball to shortstop, in which Aleksia Severson gunned down McGee at the plate who tried scoring, to get an out on the board.

Following a fielding error by Severson, the Coyotes had runners on first and second with one out. Livesay got Allie Cromer to ground into a 4-6 fielders choice, putting runners on the corners with two outs. Livesay got out of the jam, as Delaney White grounded out to Severson to keep the score at 1-0.

In the bottom of the first, Tyler Price drew a nine-pitch leadoff walk and immediately found herself on third base after Alexander smashed a double off the left-center field wall, putting runners on second and third base with no outs. Camryn Lasota tied up the game with a sacrifice fly to left field, bringing home price.

With Alexander on second base, Hopfauf hit a ground ball to shortstop, leading to the sophomore being thrown out at third base on a 6-5 fielders choice, leaving Hopfauf as the lone runner on first base with two outs. The five-hitter, Neumayer drew a walk, putting runners on first and second for Hailey Bethune, who just missed a home run to left field. It resulted in a deep flyout, keeping it even at 1-1 after one.

Livesay did not allow a hit for the rest of the game, sitting South Dakota down 1-2-3 in the top of the second, setting the Hawks up for a big bottom of the frame. Valdez got things started with a single and Severson reached on a field error by the SoDak shortstop. Morris followed that with a seven-pitch walk, loading up the bases with zero outs.

With Price up, Valdez was able to score from third on a wild pitch to give UND a 2-1 lead, moving up the other two base runners a bag. Following a Price strikeout, Alexander walk and Lasota strikeout, Hopfauf stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs.

The senior won a nine-pitch battle against Peyton Paulsen, driving a three-run double to left center field, bringing home Severson, Morris and Alexander, blowing the advantage up to 5-1 headed into the third inning.

Both teams were quiet in the third, taking the game to the fourth inning. Livesay weaved her way out of a little trouble following a leadoff walk and passed ball. The Coyotes soon had a runner on third base with one-out, but could not score. Kiya Johnson grounded out to Hailey Bethune at third base with the runner on third staying put. Following a walk by Piper Ruhl, Livesay got Brylee Hempey to strikeout looking, leaving two stranded at the corners in the top of the fourth.

The Hawks scored two more runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth, with both RBIs coming off the bat of Hopfauf. The catcher came to the plate with runners on second and third base with two outs and delivered with a two-RBI single up the middle, driving in Morris and Alexander. The Hawks took a commanding 7-1 lead.

Fast forward to the bottom of the fifth, it was Hopfauf who was the hero, hitting an infield RBI single with the bases loaded and two outs, bringing home Morris to give UND the 9-1 run-rule victory. It was Hopfauf's sixth RBI of the game.

UND will conclude the series against the Coyotes tomorrow at 1 p.m. on Midco Sports.

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