North Dakota State Softball left Mexico looking for answers as the Bison went 1-4 in five games and only scored eight in those five contests, including being shut out three times. The Herd looked for a power surge as they headed to east Texas to participate in the Lion Classic. NDSU would join East Texas A&M and Prarie View A&M at the John Cain Family Softball Complex in Commerce, Texas.
Game one against the host school, East Texas A&M, ended in heartbreak. The Bison lost 4-3 to the Lions in eight innings. The Lions would jump out to a 3-0 lead, and by the sixth, East Texas looked to have it locked down, but NDSU would tie the game in the seventh with three runs. Amai Hanta would start the rally with a pinch-hit RBI double to score Taylinn Warren. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Star Cortez would score Hanta later in the inning. Bella Dean completed the comeback with a sacrifice fly to bring in Cortez to tie the game.
The Lions would walk off the Bison in the eighth as an error led to the winning run. Savvy Williams would take the loss as eight hits led to four runs allowed, two unearned, to go along with three strikeouts in seven and third innings of work.
NDSU would take all their game-one frustration out on the Lions in game two as they bludgeoned East Texas A&M 11-0 in five innings. The Bison jumped out to a five-run lead before the Lions came to the plate. Amai Hanta hit a lead-off triple and scored on an RBI single from Taylinn Warren. A bases-loaded walk issued to Ella Claus brought in the second run, and then the floodgates opened as a bases-loaded double from Rylee Henderson gave NDSU the commanding lead.
The Bison would continue the onslaught with three more runs over the next two innings to take an 8-0 lead. Zoe King and Chloe Woldruff would add the finishing touches to the blowout as a two-run RBI double from King and an RBI groundout from Woldruff would complete the 11-0 win. NDSU would notch 12 hits in the win, and Henderson would knock in four runs, which would tie for the most this season by an NDSU player.
Kaitlyn Dunford allowed just two hits and struck out two while only walking just one batter. In her shutout win, she allowed just one baserunner over the final four innings.
The next day, the Bison would take on the Panthers of Prarie View A&M. The doubleheader would produce a series sweep as NDSU would win game one 5-3 and then dominate game two 11-3.
The Panthers would take an early lead as an RBI single opened the scoring, but then Addie Bowers would strike out the side to hold Prarier View to just the one run. Zoe King would even the score without swinging the bat as a bases-loaded walk would tie the game. Chloe Woldruff would then give NDSU a 2-1 lead. That lead wouldn’t last, as the Panthers would take the lead in the sixth, following a solo homer in the third to tie the game. An RBI groundout gave PVAM the lead.
The Bison would respond in kind as Savannah Henzler hit a pinch-hit double to score two runs and grab the lead. She would score later that inning as Bella Dean’s RBI insurance run would be enough for NDSU to grab the 5-3 win.
Addie Bowers would get the win as she pitched six and two-thirds innings while allowing three runs on eight hits. Piper Reed would come in to get the save as, with two outs and the bases loaded, she was able to induce a groundout to end the game.
In game two, a save wouldn’t be needed as NDSU took a 3-0 lead in the second inning as Amai Hanta would drive home two runs on a single, and Star Cortez would add on with an RBI groundout. In the sixth inning, the Bison offense erupted as Bella Dean hit a grand slam home run, and then Savannah Henzler launched a two-run homer to blow the game wide open, 9-0. The homers were Dean’s fourth of the season and Henzler’s second of the season.
Prairie View would avoid the run rule, scoring two runs in the fifth, but NDSU would counter with two runs, one in each of the last two innings. Savvy Williams pitched a complete game, allowing three runs, two of which were earned, allowing nine hits. She would strike out five and now evens her record at 3-3.
The Bison return to action on Friday at the Gopher Indoor Classic at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. NDSU will take on Miami (OH), Wagner, and the University of Minnesota.