GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The North Dakota softball team fell 2-1 in 14 innings against St. Thomas on Friday afternoon from South Field. The Fighting Hawks drop to 27-24 overall and 4-12 in Summit League play while the Tommies improve to 34-16 and 12-4 in conference play.
It was an absolute battle, as it was tied for the second longest game in NCAA Division l this season and was the longest game in UND division l softball history. The longest game the Hawks last played was on March 31, 2019 against Omaha, that went 13 innings.
Tegan Livesay gave it her all in the circle, tossing 207 pitches across 13.1 innings. She faced 56 batters, with a career-high 12 strikeouts, while allowing 12 hits, four walks and two runs. The 13.1 innings pitched are the most by a UND player in the division l era and the fourth most by any division l pitcher this season. She took the loss, falling to 13-10 on the year.
North Dakota was outhit 12-6 in the contest, leaving eight runners on base compared to 13 from UST. The Tommies were finally able to walk it off in the bottom of the 14th inning on an Avery Wukawitz RBI double.
Chloe Bethune led the way for UND, going 3-for-5 at the plate.
Brooklyn Morris,
Katelyn Neumayer and
Aleksia Severson each recorded one hit in the game, with
Makenna Alexander driving in the Hawks lone RBI in the top of the third inning.
How It Happened
The Fighting Hawks struck first for the second-straight game, scoring in the third inning. It was a small ball approach, as Severson led off with a single up the middle and was moved to second base on a
Brooklyn Morris sac bunt. Severson then advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored on an Alexander groundout to the pitcher up the first base line to make it 1-0.
St. Thomas answered in the fifth on two hits, started by a Zoe Trotter one-out single to right field. Livesay struck out the next batter, which was followed by Trotter stealing second base. Laken Lienhard delivered with a two-out single to drive in Trotter, tying the game at 1-1.
UND had a chance to take the lead in the seventh, following a
Chloe Bethune two-out double.
Quincie Chunestudey pinch ran for Bethune and stole third base, while pinch hitter
Annabeth Carlberg walked to put runners on the corners with two outs and
Hailey Bethune to hit. Bethune flied out to left field, as we would head to extra innings.
Extra Innings
The Tommies had a shot to win it in the bottom of the eighth, runners standing on first and second with one out. Abbi Stierlen hit into a 5-3 double play in which
Hailey Bethune stepped on third and threw across the diamond to Neumayer, getting UND out of it.
The Hawks got out of another jam in the bottom of the ninth, as UST had runners on first and third with no outs. Livesay then got Trotter to pop out and Ruby Moore to ground out to Severson, where the runner at third stayed and the runner at first advanced to second, making it second and third with two outs. Lienhard walked to load the bases, sending up Wukawitz who hit a deep flyball to right field, that was caught by Chunestudey, ending the frame.
Both teams were retired semi-easily in the 10th and 11th innings, with the Hawks leaving the bases juiced in the top of the 12th. Neumayer led off the frame with a single and was pinch ran for by
Alaina Foreman. Foreman advanced to second on a Chunestudey sac bunt.
Chloe Bethune roped a single to left field, advancing Foreman to third and she advanced to second on the throw. The next batter up was
Camryn Lasota, who walked to load the bases with one out.
Hailey Bethune came up to the plate and hit into a 1-2 fielders choice, getting Foreman out at home, pushing it to two outs. With the bases loaded, Severson struck out swinging to end the top of the 12th.
Livesay stranded runners on second and third base in the bottom of the 12th, getting Stierlen to fly out to deep left field, where Lasota made the play, sending the game to the 13th.
Following 1-2-3 innings in the 13th and top of the 14th frames, the Tommies walked it off in the bottom of the 14th. Livesay got Moore to strikeout to begin the inning, but Lienhard and Wukawitz followed that with back-to-back doubles, as Wukawitz played hero ball to drive in Lienhard. St. Thomas would win 2-1 in 14 innings.
With this loss, UND has been eliminated from Summit League Tournament contention. The Hawks will play their final game of the season at 12 p.m. tomorrow against the Tommies on the Summit League Network.
For more information on North Dakota Softball, follow on social media @UNDsoftball or visit FightingHawks.com.
