PHOTO GALLERY: Game 1

LINCOLN, Neb.—Krista Menke threw her seventh shutout of the season in the opener, and Logan Moreland and Amanda Grable each hit home runs in the second game as North Dakota State University swept the University of Nebraska by the scores of 3-0 and 10-6 in a doubleheader played Tuesday, March 31, before 858 spectators at Bowlin Stadium.
 
North Dakota State (27-6, 5-1 Summit League) is scheduled to host the University of South Dakota (10-18-1, 2-1 Summit League) in the home opening series Friday, April 3, and Saturday, April 4 at the Ellig Sports Complex.  NDSU and USD play a noon doubleheader Friday and an 11 a.m. single-game Saturday. The Bison have won 13 of their last 14 games.
 
It was quite the homecoming for Menke, a 5-foot-11 senior from Friend, Neb., who scattered three hits -- all to Huskers' third baseman Marjani Knighten. She walked two, hit one batter and struck out one in completing her 28th career shutout. Menke, the NCAA's strikeout leader with 233, recorded her only strikeout on the game's last batter. She improved to 19-2.
 
Nebraska (18-16) threatened in the sixth inning but left fielder Maritza Lopez-Portillo alertly threw out a runner attempting to go to third with the rundown going to third baseman Grable to first baseman Jackie Stifter to second baseman Cheyenne Garcia and back to Grable for the out.
 
The NDSU middle infield was kept busy with force outs as shortstop Moreland and Garcia combined for six putouts and seven assists. Lopez-Portillo matched a career-high with six putouts in the outfield.
 
North Dakota State pushed across a run in the top of the first inning. Alex Sobrero led off with a single, advanced to second on Moreland's sacrifice bunt and scored on Garcia's RBI base hit up the middle.
 
NDSU tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning to extend the lead to 3-0. Garcia led off the frame with her eighth home run of the season to center. Grable reached on a dropped fly ball, advanced to second on an error and scored on Stifter's sacrifice fly in foul territory in left field.
 
Emily Lockman (10-9) took the loss to Nebraska in the opener. Lockman struck out two and walked two.
 
Moreland, a junior from Woodland, Calif., and Grable, a senior from Santee, Calif., each hit home runs to spark North Dakota State's 13-hit offense in game two.
 
Moreland finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored, two RBI and a triple. Her second home run of the season, a two-run shot to right center highlighted a three-run third inning to overturn a 1-0 deficit. Sobrero also laced a RBI double to left center. Moreland went 5-for-8 in the two-game set.
 
Bre Beatty's pinch-hit single up the middle with two outs in the fourth inning extended the NDSU lead to 4-2.
 
Grable launched her third home run of the season, a two-run blast to left in the three-run fifth inning as the Bison advantage grew to 7-3. Garcia also knocked in a run with a ground out.
 
North Dakota State tacked on three more in the top of the sixth to make it 10-3. Reina delivered a run-scoring base loaded single, while Lopez-Portillo stroked a two-run base hit. Sobrero, Reina and Lopez-Portillo each had two hits.
Nebraska's Kiki Stokes hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. The top of the order went 10-for-17 led by Dawna Tyson and Stokes, who both went 3-for-4.
 
Jacquelyn Sertic (8-4) and Menke pitched for NDSU with Sertic recording the win. Sertic walked two and struck out two over the first six innings. Her strikeouts in the fourth and sixth innings halted Nebraska rallies.
 
Kaylan Jablonski (1-5) and Cassie McClure pitched for the Huskers with Jablonski picking up the loss. The pair combined to strike out three and walk five.