Arkansas Box Score.pdf
North Carolina Box Score.pdf

AUSTIN, Texas--North Dakota State University rebounded with a 7-2 win over Arkansas and 5-2 victory over North Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 13, during the second day of the University of Texas Classic before 1,106 spectators at McCombs Field.

NDSU (2-2) is scheduled to close out tournament play against the host Longhorns of Texas (4-0) at noon Sunday, Feb. 14. It will be the first meeting between the Bison and Texas on the softball diamond.

North Dakota State scored the first three runs against North Carolina (1-3) in the second game. Alyssa Reina delivered a run-scoring single through the left side to score Logan Moreland in the first inning, while Tabby Heinz came through with bases-loaded two-run single to send Julia Luciano and Bre Beatty to plate.

UNC rallied to cut the deficit to 3-2 with Kristen Brown's solo home run to center in the fourth inning and Berlynne Delamora's two-out RBI single in the top of the sixth.

However, North Dakota State scored a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Maritza Lopez-Portillo reached on a two-base error. Beatty, who went 3-for-3, punched a RBI single up the middle for the first run. Katie Shoultz reached on a slap single to knock in the second.

North Carolina threatened in the top of the seventh. Taylor Wike led off with a single and advanced to second on Aquilla Mateen's sacrifice bunt. NDSU first baseman Jackie Stifter rifled a throw to Cheyenne Garcia covering to nip Mateen. After Wike advanced to third on a wild pitch, Jacquelyn Sertic notched her third strikeout to end the game.

Sertic (1-0) scattered 10 hits and issued no walks in picking up her first win of the season. She had plenty of help on defense, as outfielders Jenna Isbel, Shoultz and Lopez-Portillo came up with timely plays as did infielders Julia Luciano, Moreland, Garcia and Stifter.

Sydney Matzko picked up the loss for North Carolina with three walks and one strikeout. Lauren Fuller went 3-for-3 for the Tar Heels, while Wike and Brown each finished with two hits.

North Dakota State bolted out of the gate scoring four times in the first inning in Saturday's opener against Arkansas (1-3). Garcia started things with a run-scoring base hit through the left side. Moreland scored on a wild pitch and then Stifter close the frame with a two RBI-single through the right side.

The Bison extended the lead to 5-0 on a Reina RBI single in the top of the second inning. The Razorbacks cut the deficit to 5-1 when Parker Pocklington was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom half of the second. NDSU took advantage of a pair of wild pitches to close out the scoring in the fourth. Garcia went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Shoultz and Moreland also scored twice.

North Dakota State freshman pitcher Kaitlyn "KK" Leddy came back from a long first day on the mound to spin a one-hitter and allow no earned runs. Leddy (1-2) struck out three, walked three and hit two batters in going the distance.

Stephanie Canfield had the only Razorbacks hit, a single with one out in the fifth inning. Peyton Carter and Claire Clark worked on the mound for Arkansas with Carter receiving the loss. The pair combined to strike out two, hit two batters and walk five.