FORT WAYNE, Ind. – North Dakota State's Sam Koehn, Vanessa Anderson and Cara Beatty each connected for a home run in each game as the Bison defeated host Purdue Fort Wayne by the scores of 11-1 and 5-0 in the Summit League opener for both teams on Saturday, March 23. NDSU extended its winning streak to 10 games.
 
The Bison (20-11, 2-0 SL) are scheduled to close out the Summit League series at Purdue Fort Wayne (5-18, 0-2 SL) with a 10 a.m. single-game on Sunday, March 24.
 
North Dakota State struck for three runs in both the second and third innings. Koehn took care of the scoring in the second with a three-run home to left center. Coincidentally, Anderson and Beatty scored on the long ball.
 
Beatty's solo home run was part of a three-run third inning that helped to extend the lead to 6-0.
 
NDSU closed the deal in the top of the seventh inning. Anderson hit a three-run shot to left center. Anderson and Beatty each had two hits and scored three runs in the first game.
 
KK Leddy (10-6) scattered three hits and struck out 12 batters to reach double-figures for the fifth time in her career. Shaina Eyre (1-8) took the loss for the Mastodons, walking three with three strikeouts. Lacey Wilzbacher had a RBI double for Purdue Fort Wayne in the sixth.
 
North Dakota State was limited to five hits, but three went the distance. The Bison took advantage of two first inning errors to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Koehn extended the lead to 2-0 in the top of the second with a solo home run to left center. She now has three on the season.
 
Anderson went yard with her fourth home run of the season, in the top of the fourth to make it 3-0.
 
Beatty closed the door with a two-run homer to center, her team-leading fifth long ball of the spring. Beatty had two hits for the Bison.
 
Paige Vargas (8-4) focused in, limiting Purdue Fort Wayne to just two hits to record her second shutout of the season. Vargas struck out five and walked one. Alyssa Malicki (1-5) picked up the loss with six walks and three strikeouts.