FARGO, N.D.--Andi Padilla recorded a five-hit shutout in the opener and Melissa Chmielewski hit her ninth home run in the nightcap as North Dakota State University defeated Centenary College by the scores of 2-0 and 7-3 in a Summit League women's softball doubleheader played Friday, May 1, at the Ellig Sports Complex. The teams complete the regular season with an 11 a.m. single-game Saturday, May 2.

North Dakota State (32-16, 19-3 Summit) trails Western Illinois (30-17, 20-2 Summit) by a game in the Summit League standings heading into the final day. The Westerwinds can claim the league regular season title outright with a win over IPFW on Saturday. WIU swept a pair from the Mastodons on Friday.

Padilla, a senior from Chino, Calif., struck out six and walked three to improve to 20-9. It was her second straight shutout and seventh overall this season. She relied on an alert Bison defense to keep the Ladies off the scoreboard.

Centenary (31-21, 12-9 Summit) threatened in the first inning moving a pair of runners into scoring position with one out. However, a missed squeeze bunt resulted in an out as catcher Kelly Cantrell chased down the runner and threw to shortstop Nicole Rivera covering at third. Padilla recorded a strikeout to end the inning.

North Dakota State took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. Right fielder Richel Briones walked, advanced to second on a Centenary error and scored on Jackie Currie's RBI single up the middle.

The Bison extended the lead to 2-0 in the fifth inning. Rivera reached on an infield single, stole second and scored on Elisa Victa's run-scoring single up the middle with one out. Rivera and Victa each had two hits.

North Dakota State snuffed out several late Centenary scoring ideas with a pair of double plays that ran the Bison season total to 23. First baseman Melissa Chmielewski and left fielder Victa turned two in the sixth inning, while Padilla snared a line drive and tossed to Chmielewski to complete the DP in the seventh.

Jessica Bock (16-10) recorded the loss for Centenary. Bock allowed seven hits, struck out one and walked one. Haley Bassett had a double and single, while Kalyn Harris added a pair of hits for the Ladies.

While North Dakota State starter Kim Westendorf retired the first 10 hitters she faced in game two, the Bison offense scored five times over that span including a four-run third inning to set the tone early.

Highlighting the four-run third inning was Chmielewski's two-run home run to center field. Cantrell added a two-run single to right center as NDSU collected five of its 10 hits in the frame.

The Bison extended the lead to 7-0 with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Brea Konz smacked a solo home run to left field in the fourth -- her fourth of the season, while a Taylor Lynn fielder's choice chased home a run in the fifth inning. Konz and Briones each had a pair of hits.

Centenary made things interesting with three runs over last two innings late. A NDSU throwing error followed a Leslie Postles single and Katie Mathews double to lead to a pair of runs in the sixth that cut the deficit to 7-2.

The Ladies added another run in the seventh. Jenny Varteressian doubled to lead off, moved to third on a Harris single and scored on a fielder's choice.

Westendorf (10-4) struck out a season-high seven and didn't issue a walk to improve to 8-0 in Summit League play. Hillary Phillips and Vicki Honeycutt pitched for Centenary with Phillips (15-9) picking up the loss.