OMAHA, Neb. – The North Dakota State softball team picked up a doubleheader split on Saturday at Omaha, falling 4-0 before hitting three home runs to win 7-2 in game two at Connie Claussen Field.
Game one was a pitching battle early as both teams could get just one base runner on in the first two innings. Omaha (13-11, 2-3 Summit) would threaten in the third, but it wasn't until the fourth when they took the lead with three runs after starting the inning by loading the bases.
NDSU (20-16, 2-3 Summit) would begin the sixth inning by loading the bases, but two strikeouts and a pop out stranded the bases loaded for the Bison in their best chance offensively in the game.
Omaha would add a run in the bottom of the sixth inning and NDSU would get just one runner on in the seventh as they failed to score for the first time in 15 games.
Paige Vargas (10-7) picked up the loss, allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits and four walks. She finished with four strikeouts. Offensively, the Bison had 13 strikeouts at the plate in game one.
Omaha would strike first again in game two as they scored two runs with an RBI double and RBI single in the bottom of the second inning.
The Bison would answer back in the top of the third as
Emilee Buringa picked up a two-out walk and then scored two batters later on a
Dez Cardenas single. NDSU would load the bases later in the inning, but stranded them full for the second time on the day.
NDSU would get the bats going in the fifth inning to take the lead. Following a one-out walk from
Avery Wysong,
Nicole Licea doubled down the line to tie the game at 2-2.
Ciara Jensen then stepped in and hit an RBI single to right center as NDSU took their first lead of the day.
However, the Bison weren't finished as Buringa and
Molly Gates followed it up with back-to-back home runs. Buringa's home run was the team leading sixth of the season, while Gates hit her first collegiate home run as NDSU extended the lead to 6-2.
Lainey Lyle produced a quick 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth before
Reanna Rudd extended the Bison lead to 7-2 with a solo shot in the top of the seventh to join Buringa at six home runs on the year.
Omaha would get a pair of runners on in the seventh but the defense behind Lyle kept the Mavericks off the board.
Lyle (3-3) picked up the victory with a complete game effort. She allowed two runs on four hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
It's the second time this season that the Bison have hit three home runs in a game, joining a three-homer performance against Utah State on the opening weekend. Prior to that, the Bison had not hit three home runs in a game since April 27, 2019, which also came against Omaha. Rudd and Buringa also homered in the three-home run performance earlier this season.
Buringa finished a triple shy of the cycle in game two, going 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs. Gates and Licea also had multiple hits in game two, while six different Bison had at least one RBI.
The Bison will take on Omaha in the rubber match of the series on Sunday. The first pitch in the series finale is slated for 11 a.m. at Connie Claussen Field.
