ROCHESTER, Mich.--Whitney Johnson tossed a pair of shutouts and Brea Konz finished 4 for 6 with three doubles as North Dakota State University blanked Oakland University by the scores of 3-0 and 4-0 in a Summit League doubleheader played Saturday, April 10, at the OU Softball Field. The Bison won all three games in the series.

North Dakota State (22-19, 7-5 Summit) is scheduled to host league-leading Western Illinois (22-13, 8-0 Summit) on Friday, April 16, and Saturday, April 17, at the Ellig Sports Complex.

Johnson improved to 17-13 after limiting the Grizzlies (13-25, 5-7 Summit)  to 10 hits over 14 innings pitched Saturday. She recorded her fourth and fifth shutouts of the season, the last three in a row. Johnson became the seventh NDSU pitcher to reach 200 strikeouts in a season (212).

Johnson struck out out 10 in the first game to reach double-figure strikeouts for the eighth time this season. She scattered four hits and walked five. Johnson worked out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth. OU left eight runners stranded.

North Dakota State took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning. Taylor Mortensen singled to start the frame and moved to third after Taylor Lynn reached on a two-base error on a sacrifice bunt. Melissa Chmielewski plated Mortensen on a sacrifice fly, while Lynn scored on Elisa Victa's single.

Oakland starter Marissa Everitt (4-7) limited the Bison to five hits. Everitt struck out six and walked one. Alivia Nikolaus and Kelsey Krych each had two hits for the Grizzlies.

Shortstop Nicole Rivera helped NDSU add an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning to extend the lead to 3-0. Rivera walked, stole second and third, and scored on a Konz RBI double to left center.

North Dakota State went "double time" in the second game. Laurel Pipkin and Maryssa McKenzie each went 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles to spark the Bison 11-hit offense. Five different NDSU players had two hits including Chmielewski, Rivera and Konz.

Konz singled to start the second, stole second and moved to third on a ground out. She scored on Taylor Mortensen's sacrifice fly to put the Bison ahead 1-0. Pipkin's first double came in the third inning and scored Chmielewski to extend the lead to 2-0. 

North Dakota State closed out the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Pipkin popped her second double to send Rivera home, while Pipkin raced home on McKenzie's two-base hit.

Johnson struck out eight and walked three in going the distance in the nightcap. Brittany Doyle (8-12) and Alison Tansel worked on the mound for OU with Doyle recording the loss.