Softball Goes 3-3 During Crucial Six-Game Homestand

A huge week for NDSU softball has passed as the Bison wrapped up a six-game homestand, including a three-game series with St. Thomas and a three-game series with Kansas City. The Bison entered this home stand at 3-3 on the season, looking to boost their spot in the standings.

The homestand got off to a fantastic start as the Bison came out swinging against the Tommies. The Bison scored 10 unanswered in the third inning to win in an eight-run rule, 10-2, and advance to 4-3 on the season in the Summit League.

Senior shortstop Bella Dean was the highlight of the game, going two for three with two RBIs and drawing a walk. Sophomore third baseman Mya Boos hit her first home run of the season, and Ella Claus went two for four with a double and two RBIs.

Jocelyn McClary went the distance, going six innings, allowing seven hits with two earned runs, and striking out two. She earned her 10th win of the season, giving NDSU momentum heading into Wednesday.

Wednesday’s game ended up being a complete 360 from Tuesday. St. Thomas put their foot on the gas pedal from the beginning and never let up.

St. Thomas scored two runs in each of the first three innings, taking a 6-0 lead into the fourth. Lileigh Nieto finally gave NDSU their first run to make it a 6-1 game, but St. Thomas responded with another four runs.

St. Thomas took home a 10-2 win thanks to Laken Lienhard’s three-for-four game with two RBIs and a home run. Piper Reed had a tough day for the herd, going just 2 ⅓ innings, giving up six hits, six earned runs and striking out zero Tommie hitters.

The Bison headed to a rubber match game for the series win on Thursday. The offensive parade continued as the Bison took a 2-1 lead through the first inning.

That’s all the Bison got for the next three innings as the Tommies outscored the Bison 4-0 through innings 2-4. St Thomas tacked on another three in the top of the fifth, taking an 8-2 lead into the fifth.

The Bison fought back, but it wasn’t enough in the end as they fell 8-3 and lost the series after a 10-2 win to open things up. The top half of the order showed out for the Bison as Amai Hanta, Star Cortez and Dean Bella all went two for three at the plate.

St. Thomas’s Ella Cook diced NDSU, going the distance with seven innings pitched, allowing just eight hits and two earned runs. The Bison headed into a Sunday doubleheader with Kansas City in search of a bounce-back series win.

Jocelyn McClary kicked off this series with a game one gem on the mound, going all seven innings with just one earned run and giving up eight hits. She didn’t strike out a single batter, taking the “pitch to contact” mentality to the max.

Bella Dean accounted for the game-winning RBI with a walk in the fifth inning. The Bison won game one 2-1 and looked for a series win in game two of the Sunday doubleheader.

Kansas City wouldn’t even have a chance to blink before this one was out of reach. NDSU posted a 6-0 lead after two innings. Kansas City punched back with a run of its own before NDSU loaded up the bases by four with Bella Dean at the plate.

She hit her seventh home run of the season and took home an 11-1 win due to the eight-run rule. Madison Wihlim went all five innings for the Herd, giving up just one run and striking out three.

The Bison advanced to 22-20 overall on the season and 5-9 in Summit League play. With just three series remaining, it’s crunch time for NDSU. They have a three-game series with UND in Grand Forks this coming weekend and another one at home vs SDSU.