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The Basics
Score: No. 1 North Dakota State 13, No. 2 South Dakota 3
Records: North Dakota State (43-9), South Dakota (28-25-1)
Location: Ellig Sports Complex – Fargo, N.D.

FARGO, N.D.-–North Dakota State University claimed its second straight Summit League tournament title and sixth in seven years as Bison defeated the second-seed South Dakota by a score of 13-3 Saturday, May 9, in front of 353 fans at the Ellig Sports Complex.

NDSU (43-9) has reached the championship game of the tournament in each of its seven season as a member of The Summit League and earn the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Championships.

Bison senior right-handed Krista Menke pitched a complete game three-hitter as she struck out nine Coyote batters in earning her 32nd win of the 2015 season. The nine strikeouts bring her season total to 362, which is the most in NDSU program history and also sets a new Summit League single-season record.

The North Dakota State offense got rolling early when Alex Sobrero hit a solo home run to lead off the Bison first inning, her fourth of the season. Sobrero would knock in another run in the second with her RBI single to right center that scored Jackie Stifter that ignited a five-run second inning to put the Bison ahead 6-0 after two innings. Two more runs were added in the third and five more in the fourth to give NDSU the 13-3 five-inning victory.

Alyssa Reina, Maritza Lopez-Portillo and Sobrero all hit home runs in the game as every Bison starter was able to record a base hit. Reina crushed her 14th home run of the season a two-run shot over the scoreboard in center, while Lopez-Portillo hit a two-run home run over right center field fence.

Katie Cochran produced all South Dakota's runs with a towering three-run home run in the top of the fourth inning. Allie Daly and Morgan Hancock each added a hit to account for the three hits off Menke.

Turning Point
The North Dakota State offense got rolling early when Alex Sobrero hit a solo home run to lead off the Bison first inning. Sobrero would knock in another run in the second with her RBI single to right center that scored Jackie Stifter that ignited a five-run second inning to put the Bison ahead 6-0 after two innings.

Inside The Box Score
·         All nine North Dakota State starters recorded a base hit while eight of the nine scored at least one run.
·         Sobrero was 3-for-4 and Stifter went 3-for-3 from the plate. Reina led the Bison with three RBI.
·         As a team, NDSU hit .654 (17-for-26) in the game and hit .700 (7-for-10) with runners in scoring position.
 
News & Notes
·         Krista Menke's nine strikeouts in the game bring her season total to 362, setting a new single-season Summit League record. The previous record of 355 was set by current Western Illinois head coach Holly Van Vlymen.
·         Menke earned her second career Summit League Tournament MVP.
·         It is North Dakota State's sixth Summit League tournament championship in the seven seasons as a member of The Summit League.
·         North Dakota State scored at least one run in all four innings in which they batted.

Up Next
North Dakota State earns the league's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament. The NCAA Softball Selection Show is Sunday evening at 9 p.m. CT on ESPNU.

2015 Summit League All-Tournament Team
Tournament MVP -- Krista Menke, North Dakota State
Elyse Eitel, South Dakota State
Sammy Marshall, Western Illinois
Alyssa D'Agostino, South Dakota State
Roni Patterson, IUPUI
Eryn Dillon, IUPUI
Taylor Chitwood, IUPUI
Becca Beier, Fort Wayne
Katie Dinning, South Dakota
Jackie Stifter, North Dakota State
Katie Cochran, South Dakota
Logan Moreland, North Dakota State
Krista Menke, North Dakota State
Rachel Cue, South Dakota
Alyssa Reina, North Dakota State
Morgan Hancock, South Dakota
Cheyenne Garcia, North Dakota State

The Basics
Score:  No. 1 North Dakota State 3, No. 3 IUPUI 2
Records: North Dakota State (42-9), IUPUI (33-17)
Location: Ellig Sports Complex – Fargo, N.D.

North Dakota State pitcher Krista Menke struck out 11 IUPUI hitters and Jackie Stifter hit a two-out RBI triple to propel the Bison to a 3-2 victory in Saturday's first game at the Ellig Sports Complex. NDSU advances to their seventh-straight Summit League softball championship game in as many years in the league.

Menke went the distance, giving up five hits and two runs to collect her 31st win of the season. The North Dakota State offense scored single runs in the top half of the first, third and fifth innings and were able to hold off multiple threats by the Jaguars to preserve their one-run victory.

Logan Moreland was able to score from third on a passed ball by IUPUI catcher Eryn Dillon in the top of the first to give the Bison a lead they would hold onto the entire game. Moreland would score again in the third inning when catcher Alyssa Reina singled down the right-field line, putting the Bison ahead by two.

First baseman Jackie Stifter hit an RBI triple up the right-field line that was the final and ultimately game-winning run for NDSU.

Roni Patterson hit a two-run bomb in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the Bison lead to a single run at 3-2, but IUPUI was unable to take the lead in the inning and left runners at first and second base.

Menke would record her 11^th strikeout of the game when she fanned IUPUI pinch-hitter Nickole Finch. Menke recorded double-figure strikeouts for the 22nd time this season and 28th time in her career.

IUPUI starter Brooke Boetjer threw all seven innings, striking out six and allowing one earned run in the loss.

Turning Point
NDSU opened a 3-0 lead when Jackie Stifter hit a standup triple in the top half of the fifth that scored Amanda Grable. That lead was cut to 3-2 when Roni Patterson hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. With a runner on first base in the bottom of the seventh, Krista Menke ended the Jaguar threat and the game when she struck out pinch-hitter Nickole Finch.
 
Inside The Box Score
·         The first six hitters in the lineup accounted for all eight Bison base hits in the game. Cheyenne Garcia and Alyssa Reina were the only NDSU players with more than one hit.
·         Logan Moreland scored two of North Dakota State's three runs.
·         Roni Patterson hit her 11^th home run of the season.
·         IUPUI catcher Eryn Dillon was two-for-three, the only Jaguar with multiple hits.
·         IUPUI hit .300 (3-for-10) with two outs.
·         Teams hit a combined to hit .063 (1-for-16) with runs in scoring position.

News & Notes
·         North Dakota State reaches The Summit League softball championship game for the seventh straight season.
·         The victory was NDSU head coach Darren Mueller's 500^th career win.
·         With her 11 strikeouts, Menke now has 353 on the season and is now NDSU's single-season record holder.
·         NDSU took the season series from IUPUI 4-0.

The Basics
Score: No. 2 South Dakota 1, No. 3 IUPUI 0
Records: IUPUI (33-18) South Dakota (28-24-1)
Location: Ellig Sports Complex – Fargo, N.D.

After the home run derby that was the first two days of The Summit League Softball Championships, a pitchers' duel broke out in Saturday's second game at the Ellig Sports Complex with South Dakota defeating IUPUI 1-0 to advance to the championship game against North Dakota State.

Left fielder Katie Cochran hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning that proved to be the difference in the ballgame. It was Cochran's seventh home run on the season.

Both starting pitchers went the distance as USD's Rachel cue earned the victory. Cue allowed only three hits, struck out two and walked one batter while her counterpart Emili Escamilla gave up four hits and struck out four and only allowed the one run.

Leadoff hitter Yvon Minogue was two-for-three and shortstop Matley Jones was one-for-two, registering the only other South Dakota hits in the game.

For the Jaguars, first baseman Taylor Chitwood was two-for-three and shortstop Morgan Schlobohm was one-for-three to account for all of IUPUI's base hits.

Turning Point
Katie Cochran's solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning was the only scoring of the ball game South Dakota was able to keep IUPUI scoreless.

Inside The Box Score
·         South Dakota left six runners on base in the game while IUPUI stranded four.
·         USD hit .500 (3-for-6) leading off the inning.
·         Teams combined to hit 1-for-17 with runners on base.

News & Notes
·         South Dakota won the season series 3-2.
·         Game took just 1:23 to complete.