GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota softball team dropped the third game of the series against South Dakota on Monday afternoon, falling 7-5 from Albrecht Field. The Hawks drop to 25-18 and 2-7 in Summit League play on the season and USD improves to 12-30-1 and 4-8 in conference play.
On a day where the wind was blowing out to right and center field, there were a total of four home runs, two by each side. UND was outhit 7-5, with
Tyler Price,
Makenna Alexander,
Camryn Lasota,
Taya Hopfauf and
Jaedyn Valdez each recording hits. Alexander and Lasota each smashed their fifth home runs of the season.
Tegan Livesay picked up the loss in the circle, falling to 11-7 on the season. The junior went 5.1 innings, giving up seven runs (six earned), and six hits, while walking three and striking out two.
Tehya Armstrong threw 1.2 innings of scoreless ball, surrendering one hit and striking out one.
Madison Evans for the Coyotes tossed a complete game, throwing 147 pitches. She gave up five runs, five hits, seven walks and struck out eight across 7.0 innings.
How It Happened
UND fell behind 2-0 early on in the top of the first inning, as Autumn Iversen started the game off with a double to right center. Following an Ella McGee groundout to Severson at shortstop, in which kept Iversen at second, Brooke Carey singled to center field. Iversen moved up to third base and Carey advanced to second on the throw home from
Brooklyn Morris, putting runners on second and third with one out.
The Coyotes plated two on an error by Alexander, hit by Sara Iburg. Iburg was then forced out at second on a 4-6 fielders choice hit by Evans, making that two outs with a runner on first. Evans then advanced up two bases on back-to-back wild pitches, but Livesay got Allie Cromer to strikeout to end the inning. USD led 2-0 headed to the bottom of the first.
In the bottom of the frame, Price and Alexander made outs to start the inning, but Lasota (walk), Hopfauf (single) and Neumayer (walk) all reached, loading the bases for
Hailey Bethune. Bethune worked the at-bat to a full count before popping out to short stop to end the frame.
Both teams went down 1-2-3 in the second inning, before the Coyotes left two runners on base in the top of the third.
North Dakota tied the game in the bottom of the third, thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of Alexander to dead center field with no outs. The homer came following a leadoff bunt single from Price, as it was Alexander's fifth homer of the season to tie the score at 2-2 after three.
The teams then went into a deadlock for the next two frames in the fourth and fifth innings before the Coyotes struck with five runs and two home runs in the top of the sixth. Cromer delivered the first blow with a one-out, three-run home run to center field, giving USD a 5-2 lead.
South Dakota connected with another big-fly off of Livesay just two batters later, as Abi Brown lifted a two-run home run to right field, making it 7-2. That closed the book on Livesay's day, making way for Armstrong to enter the contest, where she threw 0.2 scoreless to end the top of the sixth.
Following a scoreless bottom of the sixth and top of the seventh, UND came to hit with one more chance, trailing 7-2. Brookyln Morris and Price both worked leadoff walks, to put runners on first and second with no outs and Alexander coming to hit.
Alexander struck out swinging, but next up was Lasota who belted a three-run opposite field home run to right field, giving UND life, trailing just 7-5 with one out.
Taya Hopfauf grounded out next, which was followed with Neumayer's third walk of the game, bringing Bethune to the plate as the tying run. Bethune struck out looking on a 1-2 count to conclude the contest. NoDak fell 7-5.
UND will be back in action tomorrow at Minnesota with first pitch set for 5 p.m. on Big Ten Network Plus.
For more information on North Dakota Softball, follow on social media @UNDsoftball or visit FightingHawks.com.
