TAMPA, Fla.--Taylor Mortenson belted her first home run with three runs batted in and Nicole Rivera collected three hits as North Dakota State University defeated Wright State University 7-1 on Sunday, Feb. 21, in the final game of the University of South Florida La Quinta Inn & Suites Tournament at USF Softball Stadium. The Bison went 2-3 in the tourney.

NDSU (5-5) is scheduled to play host UC Santa Barbara (4-7) at 1:30 p.m. (Central) Thursday, Feb. 25, in the first game of the Gaucho Classic in Santa Barbara, Calif.

North Dakota State pounded out a season-high 16 hits against the Raiders (2-5) and scored at least one run in each of the first four innings. Rivera went 3 for 5 with a pair of runs scored to spark the offense.

Mortenson's ground out in the first chased home the first run, but Wright State tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning on Kristen Bradshaw's sacrifice fly.

Brea Konz delivered a run-scoring single up the middle to put the Bison ahead 2-1 in the second inning.

In the third, Melissa Chmielewski led off with a double and Mortenson followed with a home run to left field that extended the lead to 4-1. Rivera (9-18) and Chmielewski (8-16) each hit .500 during the weekend. Rivera scored seven runs, while Chmielewski had five doubles, four RBI and three walks.

Elisa Victa had a RBI single in the fifth inning, while the Bison added two runs in the seventh frame using three base hits and an WSU error.

Becca Gift and Chmielewski each had a double and single for NDSU, while Taylor Lynn and Konz both added two base hits.

Whitney Johnson improved to 3-3 in recording the win for North Dakota State. Johnson allowed five hits, walked five and struck out seven. Sharon Palma (2-2) and Chelsea Contant pitched for the Raiders.