The North Dakota State softball team split their two-game series against North Dakota this past weekend. The games were originally scheduled to be played in Grand Forks. However, the games were moved to Fargo due to the weather.
The Bison lost game one of the doubleheader on Sunday in a high-scoring affair, losing 11-10.
UND got off to a quick start, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning, two of them coming off of Bison errors.
The Herd would respond in a big way in the top of the second, as Skylar Padgett hit her second home run of the season with a grand slam to give NDSU a 4-3 lead.
UND would add another run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game 4-4. Then, Reanna Rudd hit a two-run shot to put the Bison ahead 6-4.
NDSU would add two more home runs in the game as Avery Wysong hit a solo homer in the fourth while Rudd hit her second home run of the game in the fifth.
The Fighting Hawks would take back the lead in the fifth after a four-run inning. The lead would change again as a two-run single by Cameryn Maykut would put the Bison up 10-9.
UND had one more run in them, however, scoring two in the bottom of the sixth and were able to shut out NDSU in the seventh to take the opener.
Paige Vargas got the start for NDSU and pitched four innings while giving up five earned runs and striking out one. Savy Williams pitched two innings in relief and allowed three runs.
The Bison were able to win game two of the doubleheader 7-3 with a dominant performance by pitcher Lainey Lyle.
Bison pitcher Lainey Lyle won her 5th Summit League start last Saturday against North Dakota.
NDSU got the scoring started in the fifth inning with a two-run single by Emilee Buringa. Dez Cardenas would hit an RBI single later in the inning to give the Herd a 3-0 lead.
The Bison would add two more runs in the sixth as Wysong hit a solo homer and then the Herd would add another run on an error by UND.
The Fighting Hawks were able to make the game interesting by scoring three runs in the seventh, but NDSU was able to hold on to the win.
Lyle got the start for the Bison and limited UND to just one hit until the seventh inning. She finished with a complete game while giving up three runs and matching her career-high in strikeouts with ten.
After splitting the series with UND, the Bison have a record of 26-20 on the season and are 8-7 in conference play. NDSU is now in fourth place in the Summit League.
Up next, the Bison will play their last regular-season series of the season against St. Thomas, starting on Friday. First pitch for Friday’s doubleheader is 12 p.m. at NDSU’s Tharaldson Park. Game two will begin approximately 30 minutes after the completion of the first game. Saturday’s first pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.