The past weekend was not a great one for North Dakota State baseball and softball, as both teams went without a win on Friday and Saturday.
Baseball
The Bison baseball team fell in the first two games of a three-game series against Abilene Christian in Texas.
Friday’s game saw the Bison jump to an early lead off the bat of Ben Petersen. The senior hit his first home run of the season, and just the second for the Bison, over the fence for a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.
The lead did not last long, as the Wildcat’s DH Luis Trevino hit a solo home run off NDSU starting pitcher Luke Lind. Lind would finish the day allowing six hits and two earned runs.
NDSU struggled to collect hits on the afternoon, getting just three. The Bison were able to get runners on base, as they drew nine walks. The lack of hits lead to 11 stranded base-runners for the Bison.
The Wildcats would add a pair of runs in the seventh off of relief pitcher Chris Choles to seal the 4-1 win.
Game two shared similar undertones as the first. Once again, the Bison got off the mark first, this time a an Alex Abercrombie single in the second, plating JT Core.
ACU followed with a run in the third off a sacrifice fly.
The Wildcats would pull away in the sixth, as Jordan Harms gave up three unearned runs. Harms would walk two, NDSU would have two errors, and the Wildcats would get one hit in the frame.
ACU added the cherry to the cake with four more runs in the eighth for the 9-1 victory.
NDSU left nine runners on base while dropping to 4-2 before Sunday’s matchup.
The Bison will be action on Tuesday at U.S. Bank Stadium against the University of Minnesota before travelling to Northern Colorado for a four game set next weekend.
Softball
The Bison softball team dropped the first three games at the University of South Carolina Gamecock Invitational.
It started Friday with a 1-0 defeat to the hosting Gamecocks. Another solid performance for Bison starting pitcher Jacquelyn Sertic, who worked herself out of an early jam to keep the game scoreless.
South Carolina had runners on second and third when Sertic snagged the comeback line drive off the bat of Cayla Drotar, and threw to third for the double play.
South Carolina starting pitcher Jessica Elliot allowed just six base-runners.
The Gamecocks scored the game’s only run in the fifth inning when Krystan White scored off a sacrifice fly. White tripled to lead off the inning.
In the first of two games Saturday, NDSU lost to the College of Charleston 5-1.
The Bison got on the board early when Madyson Camacho scored off a Montana DeCamp double.
NDSU starting pitcher KK Leddy would give up a pair of walks and a pair of hits to give the Cougars the lead in the second.
A pair of Bison errors led to the lead expanding to 5-1 in the sixth. The Bison again struggled with base-runners, getting 13 on the day.
The nightcap rematch with the Gamecocks brought a similar score line as the Friday game. Sertic would take the mound once again, and surrender just one run once again.
That run would come in the fifth when South Carolina’s Makenzie Boesel hit an RBI single. Sertic gave up just five hits and walked one.
NDSU’s offense was once again stifled, getting just three hits off of pitcher Nickie Blue. Blue, who picked up the save on Friday, walked just one.
The Bison dropped to 3-10 on the season before Sunday’s rematch with Charleston. NDSU will return to action next weekend at the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational for five games.