The Herd took on some fierce competition in Texas

This past Friday and Saturday, NDSU’s softball team was down in Austin, TX for the University of Texas Invitational. They played four games over the two days but could only walk away with one win.

Their first game was a 6-2 loss against Weber State University. The Bison got on the board first with a run in the first inning. However, they wouldn’t score again until the seventh, and final inning.

NDSU’s first run came when Weber State’s pitcher Mariah Ramirez walked Lauren Reimers while the bases we

re loaded, and Montana DeCamp was able to waltz from third base.
NDSU’s second run came off the bat of Kaylee Moore. More’s RBI base knock brought in junior Sam Koehn. Paige Vargas pitched all six inning for the Herd, allowing six runs on 14 hits and dropped to 3-3 on the year.

Game number two for the Bison was the worst of the weekend. They played number four ranked Texas got mercy ruled 10-0 in five innings.

The Longhorns scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning and then exploded for eight in the fourth. Facing the Longhorns is a big ask anytime, but on the road with short rest and half the tournament left to be played is certainly not ideal circumstances.

Lainey Lyle pitched for NDSU part way into the third inning and was taken out when the Texas started lighting up the scoreboard. Lyle is now 0-3 as starting pitcher this season. The win kept Texas’s undefeated record alive while NDSU dropped to 4-7.

The Herd’s third game of the tournament came following morning. NDSU Was give another crack at Weber State, but the good guys were able to prevail this time around.

Lyle was back on the mound for the Bison in this one .DeCamp was the first scoring runner of the game in the top of the second. In the following inning, Cara Beatty batted in two runners, Madyson Camacho and Dez Cardenas. Cardenas would also come in as the final run of the game on a single from Reimers. With a little help from her defense as the Bison tied a school record by turning three double plays, Lyle took home her first win as the Bison walked away with a 4-2 victory.

The final game on Saturday for the Bison came against the Duke Blue Devils. The Bison were on the wrong end of a 3-0 decision.

All of Duke’s (and the game’s) runs were on a three-run homer right away in the first inning. Despite the early hiccup, Paige Vargas pitched the entire game.

Brianna Butler spun an absolute gem for the Blue Devils. Butler allowed no runs on just three hits through seven full innings pitched. Paige Vargas was rock solid on the hill for the Herd. After the early hiccup, Vargas slammed the door on the Blue Devils, but just couldn’t get the run support necessary.