CLEARWATER, Fla. – North Dakota State rally fell short in a 6-5 loss to Ohio State, while Missouri powered past the Bison 16-6 on Saturday, March 18, during the second day of the USF Spring Classic at the USF Sports Complex.
 
NDSU (10-19) closes out tournament play at 8 a.m. Sunday, March 19, against Rutgers (6-19).
 
Ohio State (15-7) raced out to a 6-0 lead after four innings, but the Bison came back to tighten things up late.
 
Tabby Heinz drilled a two-run double to the left field fence to score Montana DeCamp and Julia Luciano in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the deficit to 6-2.
 
In the sixth inning, NDSU trimmed the lead to 6-5. Dani Renner was issued a bases-loaded walk, Heinz and Stephanie Soriano each delivered RBI singles. Heinz went 2-for-3 with the double and three RBI to spark the Bison.
 
Lilli Piper went 2-for-3 with a home run, sacrifice fly and two runs batted in. Emily Clark had two hits including a two-run double in the fourth for the Buckeyes. OSU finished with nine hits overall.
 
Jacquelyn Sertic (8-14) took the loss for NDSU. Sertic struck out three and walked three in going the distance.
 
Shelby Hursh (7-2) and Lena Springer worked on the mound for Ohio State. Hursh struck out seven and walked three over the first five-plus innings to record the win, while Springer threw the final two to pick up her first save.
 
Shortstop Braxton Burnside was a one-woman wrecking crew for Missouri (15-11) in Saturday's opener. Burnside finished 3-for-5 with two grand slams, a triple, school record 10 runs batted in and three runs scored. She led a group of six Tigers with two or more hits.
 
Burnside's first grand slam highlighted a five-run fifth inning and put Missouri ahead 6-0. Her second grand slam helped the Tigers extend the lead to 10-0 in the sixth. Burnside's two-run triple was part of a six-run seventh.
 
However, NDSU put together a six-run inning of their own in the bottom of the sixth. The Bison sent 10 batters to the plate. Dani Renner clubbed a two-run double, Vanessa Anderson ripped a RBI double, and Zoe Stavrou and Julia Luciano each had run-scoring singles.
 
North Dakota State finished with 12 hits. Stephanie Soriano had a triple and single, while Montana DeCamp went 2-for-3 with a RBI.
 
Jacquelyn Sertic (8-13) and KK Leddy pitched for NDSU with Sertic taking the loss. The pair combined to strike out six and walk two.
 
Danielle Baumgartner (4-4), Conrad and Norman pitched Missouri with Baumgartner recording the win. The trio struck out five and walked one.