Northern Iowa 4, NDSU 2 (Box Score).pdf
NDSU 7, Drake 1 (Box Score).pdf

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa--Pitcher Krista Menke matched a career-high with 14 strikeouts and Alex Sobrero went 3-for-4 with a home run as North Dakota State University defeated Drake University 7-1 to gain a split on Sunday, Feb. 8, at the Ramada UNI-Dome Classic. The Bison lost the opener 4-2 to host Northern Iowa.

NDSU (4-1) is scheduled to open play against Oregon State University (5-1) at 5:30 p.m. Central Thursday, Feb. 12, at the Campbell/Cartier Classic hosted by San Diego State University.

Menke, a 5-foot-11 senior from Friend, Neb., overcame a rocky start against Drake (2-2) as the Bulldogs collected three hits and pushed across a first inning run. She didn't allow a base hit over the final six innings.

Menke walked three and hit one batter. The 14 strikeouts matched her output against Fort Wayne last April 19 in the Fargodome. She reached double-figure strikeouts for the second time this weekend and ninth time in her career. Combined with her relief appearance in game one, Menke had 22 strikeouts in 10-2/3 innings.

North Dakota State took the lead for good at 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning. Jackie Stifter led off with a double, moved to third on Bre Beatty's sacrifice bunt and scored on Sobrero's RBI single through the left side. Sobrero stole second and then scored on a Logan Moreland two-base hit. Moreland moved up a base on a wild pitch and scored when Alyssa Reina stole second.

The Bison increased the lead to 5-1 in the fifth inning, capitalizing on three Drake errors, along with Amanda Grable's sacrifice fly.

NDSU closed out the scoring in the sixth. Sobrero led off with a solo home run, her second of the season. Moreland followed with a single, stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a ground out. Sobrero and Moreland combined to go 6-for-8 with four runs scored, three RBI, a home run and a double.

Nicole Newman and Mariah McKinnon combined on the mound for Drake with Newman recording the loss. The pair combined to allow 10 hits, strike out three and walk three. Hayley Nybo had a RBI single for the Bulldogs.

Host Northern Iowa (3-2) used Chelsea Ross' two-hitter and belted back-to-back-to-back home runs in a four-run third inning to beat North Dakota State 4-2. Rikki Alcaraz started things with a two-run home run, while Kristin Lock and Ross followed with solo shots. Lock went 3-for-3 for UNI.

Ross scattered two hits over the first three innings including a Cheyenne Garcia double that resulted in a brief 1-0 lead for the Bison. Katie Shoultz added bunt single in the third inning for NDSU. A pair of UNI errors and Garcia ground out produced a run to cut the lead to 4-2 in the sixth.

Ross (1-2) kept the Bison off base, finishing with eight strikeouts and one walk over seven innings.

Jacquelyn Sertic (1-1) and Menke worked on the mound for NDSU. Sertic, who picked up the loss, allowed five hits, struck out four and walked one working the first 2-1/3 innings. Menke struck out eight, allowed two hits and walked one over the final 3-2/3 frames.