CORVALLIS, Ore. – North Dakota State softball split a doubleheader with a 9-0 win over Portland State and a 3-1 loss to No. 24 Oregon State to wrap up the Oregon/Oregon State Invite this weekend.
The Bison (13-11) jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first against the Vikings (13-10), as NDSU led off the game with four consecutive walks to take the lead, 1-0. With the bases loaded,
Carley Goetschius hid a single back up the middle to double the Bison lead.
Two batters later,
Avery Wysong hit a one-out double down the left field line to clear the bases and extend the Bison lead to 5-0 after the top of the first.
The run support would be more than enough for
Mac Schulz, who tossed five scoreless innings, scattering just two hits and a walk for her first complete game shutout of the season and second of her career. Schulz finished with four strikeouts.
Cameryn Maykut, who walked in the first run of the game, added to the Bison lead in the top of the second, with a double to left field, scoring
Emilee Buringa, who led off the inning with her second walk.
Maykut would add another RBI in the fourth, as she hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring
Dez Cardenas who doubled and then moved to third on a wild pitch to begin the inning
The Bison would tack on two more runs in the fifth to trigger the run-rule victory. Wysong led off the inning with a single and two batters later, Buringa hit a two-run homerun to straightaway center field to make it 9-0. It was the fourth home run of the season for Buringa, tied for the team lead.
In game two, the Bison (13-12) fell behind early, as Oregon State (22-4) scored two runs in the bottom of the first. The Beavers would add another run in the third inning before the Bison answered with a run in the top of the fourth.
Cardenas led off the inning with a hit by pitch and then stole second base. After a groundout moved Cardenas to third, Goetschius hit an RBI groundout to the right side to bring Cardenas home.
The Bison would get back-to-back singles to lead off the sixth inning, but NDSU stranded the baserunners at second and third, unable to close the gap in the final innings.
Lainey Lyle had seven strikeouts in the loss. Buringa finished with two of the Bison's four hits against the Beavers.
The Bison will now travel to the east coast to for six games through the next week to wrap up non-conference play. NDSU will take on the University of Virginia on Tuesday in Charlottesville, Va. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. CT.
