MOBILE, Ala.--Kristian Foster walked with the bases-loaded to force in the winning run as No. 21-ranked Univesity of South Alabama came back to defeat North Dakota State 7-6 in eight innings hot and humid Saturday, April 25, before 349 spectators at Jaguar Field. The teams were scheduled to play a doubleheader, but thunderstorms delayed softball for nearly six hours.

NDSU (37-9, 13-2 Summit League) is scheduled to host IUPUI (30-12, 9-5 Summit League) in the final regular season three-game series Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3 at the Ellig Sports Complex. The teams will play a noon doubleheader Saturday and 11 a.m. single-game Sunday.

Blair Johnson doubled to start things for South Alabama (33-9) in the bottom of the eighth inning. Haleigh Lowe reached on an infield single and Johnson moved to third. Emily Messer was intentionally walked to load the bases. In a 10-pitch at-bat against Bison starter Krista Menke, Foster fouled off four pitches before pushing across the winning.

North Dakota State had tied the game at 6-6 in the seventh inning when Alex Sobrero hit a two-out, two-run home run to right field. It was Sobrero's third home run of the season.

The game see-sawed back and forth from the first inning. For the second straight game, NDSU jumped out an early lead and scored three times in the top of the first inning. Amanda Grable delivered a RBI single to score Cheyenne Garcia, who led off the game with a double. Alyssa Reina doubled off the pitcher's leg into left center to knock in Grable. Maritza Lopez-Portillo doubled home Reina to close out the scoring.

Bases-loaded walks to Chloe Rathburn and Amanda Herron, along with an error led to South Alabama's first two runs to cut the deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the first. Kaitlyn Griffith's two-out RBI single in the second tied the game at 3-3.

North Dakota State had a quick answer in the top of the third when shortstop Logan Moreland led off the frame with a solo home run to right field. It was the second straight game with a homer for Moreland, who has five on the season.

South Alabama came back with three runs to regain the lead at 6-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Rathburn hit a two-run home run to left, while the next batter Amanda Minahan smacked a triple to right center. Minahan scored on Johnson's single.

Sobrero finished 3-for-4 with the home run and two RBI, while Moreland finished with a pair of hits. Messer topped USA with three hits and two runs scored.

Menke (27-4) recorded the loss for NDSU. She allowed 10 hits, walked seven and struck out five. Kalen McGill and Devin Brown worked the first 2-1/3 innings for South Alabama before giving way to Farish Beard. Beard (9-3) struck out four, gave up three hits and walked one over the final 5-plus innings to record the win.