SAN MARCOS, Texas. – KK Leddy matched her career-high with 13 strikeouts and Maddie Hansen hit her first home run for North Dakota State as the Bison defeated UTSA 6-2 in the season opener on Saturday, Feb. 9, in the Texas State Bobcat Classic played at Bobcat Softball Stadium.
 
NDSU (1-0) is scheduled to play Abilene Christian (1-1) at 2 p.m. and host Texas State (1-1) at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 10.
 
Leddy, a senior right-hander from Middleburg, Fla., worked past six walks and worked through a pair of bases loaded situations in the contest as UTSA (1-2) stranded 12 baserunners. She reached double-figure strikeouts for the second time in her career. Coincidentally, Leddy struck out 13 against Southern Utah on Feb. 9, 2018.
 
North Dakota State took advantage of a two-base error to chase home Hansen in the second, while Vanessa Anderson doubled down the left field line to score Zoe Stavrou in the third to put the Bison ahead 2-0.
 
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Stavrou laced a two-run single to left center to score Madyson Camacho and Stephanie Soriano to extend the lead to 4-0.
 
Hansen, a senior from Ely, Iowa, smacked the first pitch she saw in leading off the bottom of the sixth inning for her first home run in a NDSU uniform. She had 39 home runs in two seasons at Kirkwood Community College. Camacho drew a bases-loaded walk to widen the lead to 6-0.
 
UTSA averted the shutout in the top of the seventh when Kaitlin Lopez hit a two-run home run.
 
North Dakota State finished with nine hits led by Soriano, who went 2-for-4.
 
Madison Nelson (1-1) and Clarissa Hernandez pitched for UTSA. The pair combined to walk five with no strikeouts. Hailey Garza had a double and single.