TUCSON, Ariz. – North Dakota State held off Mississippi State 5-4 in the first game of the NCAA Tucson Regional on Friday, May18, played before 972 spectators at Arizona's Hillenbrand Stadium.
 
NDSU (34-17) is scheduled to play host and No. 14 seed Arizona (41-14) at 4 p.m. CT Saturday, May 19. The Wildcats defeated Saint Francis (Pa.) 1-0. The Bison have won a NCAA first round game for the fourth time in the past five years, and have also won at least game in six straight tournament appearances.
 
Vanessa Anderson was a one-woman wrecking crew for the Bison. Anderson had a two-out triple to right center to score Bre Beatty in the top of the first. She then launched a 3-1 pitch over the left field fence to start a three-run inning for NDSU in the fourth. Julia Luciano doubled her RBI output on the season with a clutch two-run single in the fourth.
 
Anderson also turned an unassisted double play to end the bottom of the fifth. It was one of two DPs for the NDSU defense as Stephanie Soriano threw a strike to catcher Tabby Heinz from right to finish the Mississippi State first inning.
 
Bison starter Jacquelyn Sertic (25-9) benefitted from the timely offense and alert defense as Mississippi State (36-22) had runners on base in every inning. Sertic allowed nine hits, walked five and struck out one to record the complete game win.
 
North Dakota State guarded a 4-3 lead heading into the top of the seventh inning and received an important insurance run in the when Soriano punched a base hit through the left side of the infield to score Katie Shoultz. Soriano and Anderson both had two hits.
 
NDSU led 5-3 headed into bottom of the seventh inning, but had to hold off Mississippi State. The Bulldogs cut the deficit 5-4 on Morgan Bell's RBI single. The defense helped the Bison end the threat with shortstop Montana DeCamp's force at second and Soriano's catch in right field.
 
Holly Ward (15-9) and Cassady Knudsen pitched for Mississippi State with Ward picking up the loss. The pair combined to strike out eight and walk two. Mia Davidson, Kat Moore and Sarai Niu each had two hits for the Bulldogs.