Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

VERMILLION, S.D.--North Dakota State received timely pitching from an unlikely source and Jenina Ortega hit a pair of home runs including a grand slam as the Bison defeated the University of South Dakota by the scores of 3-2 and 10-1 in a Summit League softball doubleheader played at Nygaard Field on Friday, May 2.

NDSU (29-15, 12-3 SL) and South Dakota (28-19, 9-7 SL) are scheduled to close out the the three-game series at noon Saturday, May 3. The Bison stayed a half-game ahead of Fort Wayne (37-13, 12-4 SL) in the league standings. The Mastodons defeated IUPUI twice on Friday. Pairings for The Summit League Softball Championship tournament are scheduled to be announced Sunday, May 4. North Dakota State will host the four-day tournament May 7-10 at the Ellig Sports Complex.

Ortega, a 5-foot-2 senior from San Jose, Calif., put NDSU on the scoreboard with two outs in the first inning of the opener when she smacked a 1-2 pitch for a two-run home run to right center. Cheyenne Garcia received a walk to put a baserunner on the plate.

The Coyotes answered with two runs in the bottom of the third. Lindsey Boyd was hit by pitch and scooted to third on a double to right center by Katie Dinning. Boyd and Dinning scored on Yvon Minogue's single to left center.

The Bison bounced back in the top of fourth inning. Garcia led off with a double to right center and Ortega was hit by pitch for the 10th time this season. Both runners moved up base on Amanda Grable's sacrifice bunt. Garcia scored on a wild pitch.

Both teams finished with two hits as the pitching took over.

Enter NDSU freshman Katie Thun, who replaced Krista Menke and shut down the USD offense. Thun (3-2) struck out four, walked one and hit a batter over 3-2/3 innings of relief to pick up the win. With the Coyotes threatening with two on and two out in the seventh, Menke re-entered and registered a strike out to record her third save of the season. The Bison pitchers combined to strike out 10, hit four batters and walk three. The four hit batters tied a school single-game record.

South Dakota pitcher Rachel Cue (17-8) was impressive in the tough loss. Cue struck out seven and walked two.

Game one also produced career win No. 450 for NDSU head coach Darren Mueller. Mueller has a record of 451-253 (.640) in his 13th year.

North Dakota State's offense erupted for 13 hits in the nightcap. The Bison built a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning and did their scoring with two outs. Brandi Enriquez and Alex Sobrero came through with RBI singles to highlight the frame.

NDSU extended the lead to 5-0 in the top of the third when Jackie Stifter and Jenna Isbel each delivered run-scoring singles. South Dakota trimmed the lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth on doubles from Morgan Hancock and Minogue.

North Dakota State tacked on five runs in the top of the seventh to widen the margin to 10-1. Garcia stroked a bases-loaded infield single and then Ortega lifted a grand slam home run over the right field fence. Ortega's home run was her third over the past four games and seventh of the season. The grand slam was the fourth hit by NDSU this season as Ortega joins teammates Logan Moreland, Grable and Garcia.

Garcia went 2-for-5 with a triple, Grable was 2-for-2 with a double and three walks, while Sobrero, Moreland and Enriquez each had two base hits.

Menke struck out five, scattered three hits and issued no walks to improve to 22-6.

Madison Frain (9-10) took the loss for South Dakota. Frain struck out three and walked seven.