HUNTSVILLE, Texas--Melissa Chmielewski went 3 for 4 with three RBI and a pair of doubles as North Dakota State defeated Sam Houston State 7-2 in the first game, but the Bearkats edged NDSU 2-1 in 10 innings in the second in a non-conference softball doubleheader played Wednesday, March 17, at the Bearkat Softball Stadium. The Bison snapped a four-game losing streak with the first game win. 

North Dakota State (15-12) is scheduled to open Summit League play with a three-game series with Centenary College (2-1 Summit, 8-11) on Friday, March 19, and Saturday, March 20, in Shreveport, La. The teams play a 4 p.m. doubleheader Friday and a single-game at noon Saturday. The Ladies lost 4-3 at Lousiana-Monroe on Wednesday.

In the opener, Chmielewski hit her first double in the first inning and scored on a Brea Konz single to put NDSU ahead 1-0.

The Bison extended the lead to 2-0 in the fourth when Cristina Borek hit a solo home run to left field. It was Borek's first home run of the season.

North Dakota State scored three times in the top of the fifth to widen the margin to 5-0. Chmielewski highlighted the frame with a run-scoring single as the Bison took advantage of three hits and a pair of errors.

Sam Houston State (10-15), which had a five-game winning streak stopped, cut the deficit to 5-2 with a two-out, two-run home run from Hailey Wiginton.

Chmielewski, who 5 for 8 with four RBI in the twinbill, closed out the scoring with a two-run double to right field to chase home Richel Briones and Nicole Rivera. NDSU outhit the Bearkats 9-3 as Konz had two hits and Briones added a double.

 Whitney Johnson went the distance for the Bison and improved to 10-8. She struck 11, walked four and scattered three hits. It was the fourth double-figure strikeout game for Johnson. Morgan Mikulin and Tori Benavidez pitched for SHSU with Mikulin (7-10) picking up the loss.

Sam Houston State received a double from Ashley Isbell to score Calli Wood from first with two outs in the 10th inning to take the nightcap and put an end to a pitching duel between NDSU's Randi Parks (5-4) and Tomi Garrison.

Parks, who pitched a career-high 9.2 innings, allowed 10 hits, struck out three and walked two. Garrison gave up nine hits, struck out seven and walked two. Both pitchers were tagged with an unearned run.

The Bearkats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Wiginton reached on an error and scored on a two-out triple by Amy Brown. Kim Damian led SHSU with a double and single.

North Dakota State rallied with a run in the top of the sixth. Rivera reached on an error to lead off the frame, stole second and scored on Chmielewski's two-out single left field. Elisa Victa, Rivera and Chmielewski each had two hits for the Bison.