Summit League Softball Championship Page
G6 #1 North Dakota State 8, #2 Omaha 7 (Box Score).pdf
G7 #6 IUPUI 14, #2 Omaha 13 (Box Score).pdf
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The Basics
Score:  No. 1 North Dakota State 8, No. 2 Omaha 7
Records: North Dakota State (37-13), Omaha (30-28)
Location: Ellig Sports Complex – Fargo, N.D.

FARGO, N.D. – For the second day in a row, top-seed North Dakota State came from behind to win in its final at-bat, defeating No. 2 Omaha 8-7 at the 2016 Summit League Championship at the Ellig Sports Complex. The Bison earn a trip to the tournament's championship game for the eighth straight season and will play for the league's automatic bid into the NCAA tournament on Saturday.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh in a tie game, NDSU (37-13) drew three consecutive walks to load the bases for third baseman Julia Luciano. Omaha starter Laura Roecker threw the 2-2 pitch into the front leg of Luciano, bringing in the game-winning run. NDSU scored final five runs of the game, including the walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh, and it is the second straight game in which the Bison won via a walk-off hit batter.

Omaha (30-38) scored in each of the first five innings in the ballgame and opened a 7-3 lead after sophomore Kelly Pattison launched a two-run home run over the center-field fence in the fifth inning. The Mavericks chased NDSU starting pitcher – Summit League Pitcher of the Year - Jacquelyn Sertic after just two innings.

Jackie Stifter and Logan Moreland each hit two-run home runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game 7-7. Moreland's tying home run came after Katie Shoultz was able to register a two-out infield single.

North Dakota State advances to Saturday's championship round for the eighth straight season. The Bison have won the last two Summit League tournament crowns and have six in program history. NDSU has now won 32 consecutive games against league opponents in all competitions, dating back to 2015.

Turning Point
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh in a tie game, NDSU (37-13) drew three consecutive walks to load the bases for third baseman Julia Luciano. Omaha starter Laura Roecker threw the 2-2 pitch into the front leg of Luciano, bringing in the game-winning run.

Inside The Box Score

• NDSU first baseman Jackie Stifter drove in a game-high three runs.
• Logan Moreland extended her hitting streak to 25 games.
• UNO starter Laura Roecker struck out seven batters, but allowed 10 walks and eight earned runs.
• Bison pitcher KK Leddy pitched the final five innings of the game after starting pitcher Jacquelyn Sertic allowed four runs in just two innings of work.
• Kelly Pattison drove in a team-best two runs for Omaha and scored twice.
• NDSU left 10 runners on base while Omaha left eight runners on.

News & Notes

• North Dakota State will play in its eighth straight Summit League tournament championship game.
• NDSU has won 32 straight contests against league opponents including postseason play, dating back to 2015.
• The No. 1 seed is now 48-27 in The Summit League Softball Championship.
• It was the first-ever postseason meeting between North Dakota State and Omaha.

Up Next
No. 1 North Dakota State advances to in Saturday's championship game at 1 p.m. CT. 

The Basics
Score: No. 6 IUPUI 14, No. 2 Omaha 13
Records: IUPUI (20-34), Omaha (30-29)
Location: Ellig Sports Complex – Fargo, N.D.

FARGO, N.D. – IUPUI catcher Roni Patterson hit a pair of home runs, including a grand slam, to help the sixth-seeded Jaguars outlast No. 2 Omaha 14-13 and clinch a spot in The Summit League tournament championship game for the first time in program history Friday at the Ellig Sports Complex.

IUPUI (20-34) used a five-run fifth inning, fueled by Patterson's grand slam, to open up a 13-7 lead and were able to hold on to a 14-13 victory over the second-seeded Mavericks (30-29). Patterson had six RBI in the game, tying a single-game tournament record.

Omaha hit five home runs in the game, including Nicole Warren's league-record 20^th of the season and two by Kelly Pattison, and scored six runs in the final two innings. Entering the final inning down 14-10, UNO scored three in the top of the seventh but were unable to push across the tying run.

The Mavs led 7-4 in the top of the fourth inning after Pattison was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. In the bottom half, Taylor Chitwood hit a three-run homer as IUPUI scored four in the inning to gain an 8-7 edge. Patterson's grand slam in the next inning pushed to the lead to six.

Each side used three different pitchers in attempts to slow down the other team's bats as 27 total runs were scored off 29 base hits with at least three runs being scored in each inning.

IUPUI advances to play host and top-seeded North Dakota State in Saturday's championship round. It is the Jags first-ever appearance in the championship game and only the second time in tournament history that a No. 6 seed has advanced to the championship round.

Turning Point
The Mavs led 7-4 in the top of the fourth inning after Pattison was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. In the bottom half, Taylor Chitwood hit a three-run homer as IUPUI scored four in the inning to gain an 8-7 edge. Patterson's grand slam in the next inning pushed to the lead to six.

Inside The Box Score

• Taylor Chitwood (4 RBI) and Roni Patterson (6 RBI) combined to drive in 10 runs for the Jaguars on the day.
• Each team scored in all but one inning and each team hit over .400 in the game.
• The leadoff batter in each inning combined to hit 9-for-13 (.692).
• Eight of Omaha's nine starters registered a base hit in the ball game.
• Kelly Pattison drove in a team-high five runs for Omaha.
• Ten different players drew walks and seven different players drove in more than one run in the game.

News & Notes

• In the regular season, IUPUI was a combined 0-7 vs. Western Illinois, South Dakota and Omaha. They are now 3-1 against those same opponents in this tournament.
• Omaha's Nicole Warren set a new Summit League single-season record with her 20^th home run.
• Roni Patterson equaled a Summit League tournament record with six runs batted in.
• IUPUI is just the second No. 6 seed (Eastern Illinois, 1994) to reach the championship game. It is also the Jaguars' first championship game appearance in program history.

Up Next
IUPUI moves on to face No. 1 North Dakota State in Saturday's championship round at 1 p.m. CT.