LAS VEGAS, Nev. – KK Leddy struck out a career-high 13 as North Dakota State beat Southern Utah 7-4, but UNLV rallied for a 3-2 win in nine innings over the Bison on Friday, Feb. 9, during the first day of the UNLV Sportco Kick Off Classic at Eller Media Stadium.
 
NDSU (1-1) is scheduled to play No. 16-ranked Minnesota (2-0) at 11 a.m. Central Time and Creighton at 1:15 p.m. CT on Saturday, Feb. 10. The Bluejays are currently playing UNLV and finish the night with Utah Valley.
 
Las Vegas native Bre Beatty finished the day 5 for 7 with four doubles and four runs batted over the two games and was the catalyst offensively for North Dakota State in the win over Southern Utah (0-2), former members of the Summit League.
 
Leddy, a junior from Middleburg, Fla., reached double-figure strikeouts for the first time in her career. She settled down after surrendering a pair of first inning runs to the shut down the Thunderbirds offense.
 
NDSU tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth inning when Beatty scored on Montana DeCamp's bunt single and Southern Utah error. Newcomer Maddie Hansen then delivered a RBI single to put the Bison ahead 3-2.
 
Beatty knocked in a pair of runs with a double in the fifth, while Zoe Stavrou connected for a two-run single up the middle in the sixth to close out the scoring. NDSU finished with 13 hits overall. Hansen had three hits and DeCamp collected two.
 
Jacquelyn Sertic (0-1) struck out 15 batters, and carried a no-hitter and a 2-1 lead into the ninth inning against host UNLV. However, the Rebels' lone hit, a Justine Federe single to center and throwing error pushed across a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth. It was the fourth one-hitter in Sertic's career and 19th time she reached double-strikeouts.
 
North Dakota State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning when Vanessa Anderson and Beatty led off with back-to-back doubles. Beatty finished with a pair of doubles.
 
UNLV tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth. Reina Bondi walked, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Bondi scored on Janine Petmecky's sacrifice fly to center.
 
NDSU took a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth. Katie Shoultz, placed on second due to speed up rules, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch.
 
Charlie Masterson (1-0) picked up the win for UNLV. Materson scattered five hits, struck out four and walked one.