MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – North Dakota State softball picked up a split on day one of the Gopher Indoor Classic, picking up a 9-3 come-from-behind win against Idaho State, before falling to host Minnesota 2-0 at the U.S. Bank Stadium.
Idaho State would jump out to an early lead as they scored a run in the top of the first. However, the Bison would get out of the jam, stranding two more Bengals baserunners in the inning and then two in the second.
North Dakota State would strand a runner in scoring position in the first and third innings and saw the deficit extend to three in the top of the fifth, as Idaho State scored two more runs with one coming unearned as the Bison had an error in the inning.
However, the Bison comeback would start in the bottom of the fifth as
Bella Dean hit her first collegiate home run with a shot over the fence in left to make it 3-1.
The Bison would complete the comeback in the sixth as they scored eight runs. After
Emilee Buringa reached with a hit by pitch and
Carley Goetschius had a single,
Reanna Rudd tied the game at 3-3 with a double down the line in left. NDSU would then take the lead as
Kaylee Moore singled to center, scoring pinch runner
Riley Leadstrom from second.
The Bison would continue the inning by loading the bases before
Zoe King pinch hit and was hit by a pitch to extend the lead to 5-3. Buringa then stepped in and hit a bases clearing triple to right field to give the Bison eight runs. She would then score on a double from Goetschius for the final run of the game.
Lainey Lyle picked up the complete game win, allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits with two strikeouts. Goetschius and
Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage had two hits each, while Dean also reached twice with her home run and a walk.
In game two, the Bison would end up in a pitching duel with the Gophers, as
Paige Vargas was dominant early. The Bison had three hits in the first four innings, but were unable to capitalize. Vargas held the Gophers to one hit in the first three innings, but a two-out walk, followed by a double gave Minnesota the lead in the fourth.
After the Bison were retired in order in the next two innings, Minnesota used back-to-back doubles to lead off the sixth inning to double its lead to 2-0 with the final run of the game.
Paige Vargas picked up the loss in a complete game effort, allowing just four hits with a strikeout. Goetschius, Rudd and Moore recorded the three hits in the game for the Bison.
The Bison will return to action on Saturday with just one game, taking on Drake at 11:30 a.m. inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
