NDSU Win Both Games in Double Header Against UND

The Bison knew what they needed to do win both of their games on Saturday, and that’s exactly what they did. They beat the University of North Dakota 16-2 and 5-1, respectively, and did so in a convincing fashion.

NDSU started the scoring right off the bat. In the first game, shortstop Logan Moreland advanced on two errors and scored the first run of the game with the Bison’s first. Later in the first inning, NDSU turned in two more runs to make the score 3-0. The Bison then scored three more runs in the second to make it a 6-0 game.

The first score for UND was at the top of the third, when NDSU had an error and UND capitalized and stole home. This cut the lead down to five, but this was the smallest lead for the rest of the game. NDSU had a scoring frenzy during the bottom of the fourth, which was started off when catcher/infielder Amanda Grable hit a RBI double. The Bison turned in four more runs by the end of the inning, giving NDSU a 12-1 lead. The Bison never looked back and took the 16-2 win.

The highlight of this game was the outstanding pitching for the Bison. Pitchers Krista Menke and Tabby Bayers combined for twelve strikeouts, which helped hold down UND to only two runs throughout the whole first game.

After the break following the first game, UND picked up their play in the second. NDSU didn’t score until the bottom of the second inning when Brandi Enriquez and Moreland each had a single RBI to make the score 2-0. UND replied with a run of their own to make the score 2-1, but that’s the closest they would get. At the bottom of the third with one out, a fielder’s choice let in Grable get to home to give the Bison another two run lead.

UND had few chances to get close again, as pitcher Whitney Johnson threw nearly lights out for the Bison. UND’s hopes were essentially put out at the bottom of the sixth when outfielder Alex Sobrero contributed a RBI double to put NDSU up 5-1. UND couldn’t pull it out in the last inning, giving NDSU the second win of the day.

The NDSU softball team will play again on the sixth of October in Minnesota, Minneapolis.