LOS ANGELES, Calif. – North Dakota State blanked host Loyola Marymount 1-0 and rallied from a four-run deficit to defeat Colgate 8-7 in eight innings during the first day of the LMU Tournament played Thursday, March 15, at Smith Field.
NDSU (14-7) is scheduled to play Monmouth at 12:30 p.m. CT Friday, March 16.
Jacquelyn Sertic (10-4) limited Loyola Marymount (12-16-1) to only three hits in recording her second shutout of the season and 15
th career. Sertic struck out 11 and walked one. She reached double-figure strikeouts for the sixth time this season and 24
th overall.
NDSU scored the game's only run in the top of the sixth.
Bre Beatty led off with a walk. Pinch-runner
Lauren Reimers moved to second on
Vanessa Anderson's sacrifice bunt and scored on
Maddie Hansen's double to left center.
Hannah Bandimere (8-6) took the loss for LMU. Bandimere struck out three, walked three and allowed only three hits. Katie Manley and Alicia Brown each had a double for the Lions including Manley's two-base hit with two outs in the seventh.
North Dakota State had its hands full with Colgate (1-16) and trailed 7-3 heading into the fourth and 7-4 in the bottom of the seventh, down to the last out.
However,
Tabby Heinz hit a three-run home run with two outs in the seventh inning to tie things at 7-all. It was the first homer of the season for Heinz, who went 3-for-4 to lead a group of four Bison players with three hits against Colgate. NDSU collected 15 hits overall
Playing speed up rules,
Katie Shoultz was placed on second and moved to third on a
Madyson Camacho single to center. Shoultz scored the game-winner on
Bre Beatty's infield single. Shoultz, Camacho and
Montana DeCamp all finished with three hits, while Beatty added a pair.
Vanessa Anderson hit her first home run on the season, a two-run shot, in the first inning.
NDSU freshman pitcher
Kara O'Byrne pitched the final 6.2 innings in relief of starter
KK Leddy to earn her first collegiate win. O'Byrne allowed six hits, struck out three and walked three.
Jessica Hay (0-4) and Kyle Griswold pitched for Colgate with Hay taking the loss. The pair combined to walk seven and strike out two. Nicole Rounsavill went 3-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored.