Following the conclusion of a rigorous tournament itinerary, the Bison softball team opened up Summit League play this weekend.
The Herd faced Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne and left with a series win, downing the Mastodons twice on Saturday by scores of 4-1 and 8-1, respectively.
Pitchers Jacquelyn Sertic and KK Leddy held IPFW to merely 11 hits across the two contests. The Bison offense gave Sertic and Leddy plenty of help, clubbing eight extra base hits, four of which flew over the fence.
Sertic went the distance in the first contest, conceding IPFW’s only run of the game on an RBI single in the second inning.
Julia Luciano tied the score in the visitor’s half of the third inning with a solo home run. The game remained tied until Bre Beatty’s three-run shot in the sixth inning sealed the win for the Bison.
Sertic’s gem was her tenth win of the season. The junior hurler from Sparks, Nevada, allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out 10 batters with an efficient 98 pitches. Sertic’s double-digit strikeout total was her seventh of the season and thirteenth of her career.
The win puts her in the lead of Summit League pitchers. She also leads the league with 199 strikeouts.
The run scoring from late in the first game carried over into the second.
Madyson Camacho opened the scoring with a one out RBI single to plate Beatty in the top of the second. NDSU scored two runs in the third and fourth innings to push the score to 5-0, courtesy of a Vanessa Anderson RBI double and a Montana DeCamp homer.
The scoring proved to be more than enough run support for KK Leddy. The sophomore baffled the Mastodons, letting only five runners reach base in 4 2/3 innings.
Sertic relieved Leddy after 48 pitches to record the save.
The Bison poured on three more insurance runs in the seventh inning on Anderson’s two run double and Beatty run scoring a single.
Anderson, Beatty. and DeCamp all had three hits. Anderson had four RBIs to lead the Bison. Leddy picked up her fourth win of the season and Sertic earned her second save. The save also puts her in a tie for the lead in the category.
The Herd also played a third game in Fort Wayne on Sunday.
The Bison return home this upcoming weekend for a three game set against Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.
The Bison have lost just one game at home each of the last two regular seasons.
NDSU swept the season series against the Jaguars in dominant fashion last season, scoring 31 runs to IUPUI’s six in the three-game series. IUPUI is currently 3-0 in conference play, having swept South Dakota State last weekend.
The Jaguars had success last year in Fargo at the Summit League Championships. IUPUI won a pair of games in the tournament, including a shock win over the champion Bison.