FARGO, N.D.--Whitney Johnson tossed a pair of shutouts and Nicole Rivera went 4 for 4 with four runs scored in game two as North Dakota State blanked Southern Utah by the scores of 7-0 and 8-0 in a Summit League softball doubleheader played Friday, April 23, before 115 spectators at the Ellig Sports Complex.

North Dakota State (26-20, 11-6 Summit) and Southern Utah (9-34, 5-15 Summit) close out the three-game series at noon Saturday, April 24. The Bison have won seven of their last eight games. NDSU is two games behind second place IPFW (23-14, 13-4 Summit) and two games ahead of fourth place UMKC (19-24, 9-8 Summit) in the league standings.

Johnson (20-14) limited the Thunderbirds to seven hits over 14 innings on Friday to record her sixth and seventh shutouts of the season. She struck out 17 and walked four. Johnson improved to 10-5 in league play.

North Dakota State jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Melissa Chmielewski led off with a solo home run, her ninth of the season and 37th of her career. Chmielewski moved into second place on the NDSU all-time home run list, trailing only All-American catcher Shelly Rhein, who hit 53 from 1998-01.

Elisa Victa and Laurel Pipkin were each hit by pitch and moved into scoring position on a ground out. Richel Briones delivered a two-out, two-run single to center.

The Bison were hit by pitch six times during the game to break the old record of four set against West Florida on March 8, 1997. Maryssa McKenzie was plunked twice during the game to tie the NDSU single-game record set by eight different players on 10 occasions.

North Dakota State scored single runs over the next four innings. Chmielewski scored on an error in the second and added a RBI single in the third inning. Chmielewski went 2 for 2 with two runs scored and a pair of RBI. Pipkin had a RBI single in the fourth, while Nicole Rivera's infield single closed out the scoring in the fifth inning.

Nicole Huntsman paced Southern Utah with a 2 for 2 effort at the plate, while Kristina Brooks (2-11) recorded the loss.

The Bison outhit SUU 12-3 in the nightcap as Rivera tied a career-high with four hits in four trips to the plate set twice previously this season in games at IUPUI and against Wright State. Her four runs were a career best.

Cristina Borek and Brea Konz each went 2 for 4 with a RBI, while Pipkin knocked in a pair of runs with a two-out single in the first.

Johnson worked out of trouble in the first, fourth and fifth innings to preserve the shutout. She received defensive help from Rivera at shortstop, Victa in left field and Chmielewski at first.

Bubba Kearns  (6-16) recorded the loss for Southern Utah. The Thunderbirds were limited to an Aly Daniels double, and singles from Jenavieve Purcell and Stephanie De Jesus.