MACOMB, Ill.—Jackie Stifter hit a three-run home run with two outs in the top of the seventh inning as North Dakota State University rallied for a 5-3 win in a Summit League softball game played Sunday, March 22, at Mary Ellen McKee Stadium. NDSU extended its winning streak to nine games.

North Dakota State (23-5, 3-0 Summit League) is scheduled to travel to Omaha (14-13, 2-0 SL) for a three-game series on March 28-29.

The Bison trailed 3-2 entering the top of the seventh inning. With one out, Alyssa Reina singled and Amanda Grable walked.

Up came NDSU first baseman Stifter, a 5-foot-9 junior from Winsted, Minn., who entered the game with three RBI on the season. The left-handed hitting Stifter took a 3-2 pitch to the opposite field for the game-winning blast.  It was her first home run of the season.

Bison pitcher Krista Menke (16-2) retired the side 1-2-3 in the seventh to complete the comeback. Menke struck out 10, allowed five hits and walked four. She reached double-figure strikeouts for the 13th time this season and 20th time in her career.

Western Illinois (8-10, 0-3 SL) struck in the bottom of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Tierney Bottino was hit by a pitch and scored on Lia Romero's double to left field.

The Bison rallied with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning. Stifter led off with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Joei Samper. Samper moved to second on Jenna Isbel's sacrifice bunt.

Alex Sobrero delivered a two-out single to right to send Samper home. Sobrero moved to third on an error and scored on a wild pitch. Sobrero, Grable and Stifter each had two hits.

Western Illinois scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth, using a pair of hits and two NDSU errors to regain the lead at 3-2.

Kaycee Hart (4-4) took the loss for the Fighting Leathernecks. Hart scattered eight hits, walked five and struck out five.