PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – The North Dakota State softball team opened up the 2023 season on Friday with a 4-0 victory over California Baptist at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge at Nancy Almaraz Field.
 
Carley Goetschius was perfect at the plate with a two-run home run and two runs scored, while Paige Vargas and Piper Reed combined for a shutout and five strikeouts to lead the way for the Bison, who improved to 2-0 all time against the Lancers with the second-straight season-opening win for NDSU.
 
The Bison took the lead in the bottom of the first with two runs and never trailed. Goetschius drew a one-out walk and then stole second before scoring on Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage's RBI double down the right field line in her first career at bat as a Bison. Aguilar-Beaucage would then come around to score three batters later, as Zoe King also had an RBI base hit in her first career at bat as a Bison, singling up the middle.
 
Vargas would go to work in the circle for North Dakota State, stranding four Lancers baserunners in five innings of work. In her 99^th career appearance for the Bison, Vargas had two strikeouts in the first, one in the third and her final strikeout in the fifth, he final inning of work. Vargas would pick up the win, allowing three hits and a walk with four strikeouts in five scoreless innings.
 
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Emilee Buringa would extend the inning with a two-out single, bringing Goetschius to the plate. Goetschius would then smash a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left center for the first home run of the season and the 13^th home run of her career, extending the Bison lead to 4-0.
 
Goetschius finished the game 2-for-2 at the plate with a walk. She also had a single to lead off the third inning. Goetschius accounted for three runs, with two RBIs and two runs scored.
 
With an extended lead, freshman pitcher Piper Reed made her debut for the Bison in the sixth inning, recording a strikeout to end the inning and stranding a CBU baserunner at third. In the seventh, Reed would strand another base runner as she tossed back-to-back scoreless innings to close out the game.
 
Five Bison would finish with hits in the game, as Reanna Rudd joined Goetschius, Aguilar-Beaucage, Buringa and King with hits. Rudd also had a walk, reaching base twice.
 
North Dakota State will be back in action Saturday afternoon, as the Bison take on the Cougars of BYU, with the series between the two schools tied at 4-4. First pitch is slated for 12:30 p.m. at Nancy Almaraz Field in Puerto Vallarta.