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FARGO, N.D.--Jackie Stifter launched a grand slam home run and Cheyenne Garcia hit a two-run shot as North Dakota State University defeated IUPUI 14-6 in six innings during Senior Day on Sunday, May 3, to close out the regular season with a Summit League softball series sweep before 144 at the Ellig Sports Complex.

NDSU (40-9, 16-2 Summit League) recorded its first 40-win season since 2004, the program's last year in the NCAA Division II ranks. The Bison clinched the No. 1 in the Summit League tournament scheduled for May 6-9 at the Ellig Sports Complex. NDSU will open play at noon Thursday, May 7, against the No. 4 seed-No. 5 seed winner.

Stifter, a 5-foot-9 junior from Winsted, Minn., launched the first pitch she saw in the bottom of the fourth inning over the chain link monster in right field and on the running track to put the Bison ahead 12-1. It was Stifter's third home run of the season and the second of the series. The Bison sent 11 batters to the plate in the fourth as Alex Sobrero scored on a wild pitch and Logan Moreland scored on a throwing error.

IUPUI (31-16, 9-8 Summit League) didn't go down without a fight and scored five times to cut the deficit to 12-6 in the top of the fifth inning. Eryn Dillon had a RBI single, Taylor Chitwood doubled in the second run and Megan Cory hit a three-run home run to right center to take care of the scoring. Patterson led the Jaguars with two hits.

North Dakota State ended the game in the bottom of the sixth inning. Maritza Lopez-Portillo reached on an error and Katie Shoultz drew a base on balls. Lopez-Portillo and Shoultz moved up a base on a ground out and scored on Sobrero's double to left center. Sobrero, one of three seniors honored prior to the game, finished with a pair of doubles, while Stifter and Garcia each added two hits.

NDSU rebounded from a 1-0 deficit in the bottom of the first inning. Sobrero led off with a walk, Moreland followed with a walk and Garcia loaded the bases on a bunt single. Sobrero scored on an error and Moreland scooted home on Amanda Grable's sacrifice fly to put the Bison ahead 3-1.

North Dakota State extended the lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the third. Garcia lined a two-run home run over the left field fence and Lopez-Portillo contributed a sacrifice fly to left. Garcia and Moreland each scored three runs in the game.

Krista Menke (29-4) and Jacquelyn Sertic pitched for NDSU with Menke picking up the win. The pair combined to strike out nine, allow eight hits and walk four. Menke completed the Summit League regular season with an 11-0 record, 1.03 earned run average and 123 strikeouts. Overall, Menke moved to within three strikeouts of the program's single-season record of 342 set by former All-American Julie Fromm in 1999.

Brooke Boetjer (20-10), Emili Escamilla and Lily Del Toro pitched for IUPUI with Boetjer picking up the loss. The trio combined to allow 10 hits and walk seven.