MEMPHIS, Tenn. – North Dakota State softball totaled 24 runs in a pair of big victories on Saturday at the Blues City Classic, defeating SIU-Edwardsville 9-1 before a run-rule victory over host Memphis 15-4 in five innings.
 
The Bison combined for six home runs and totaled the top two scoring performances of the season.
 
In the first game of the day, the Bison battled in a pitching dual for the majority of the contest, as each team could only get three hits through five scoreless innings. However, the Bison would take the lead in the sixth inning by way of back-to-back homeruns before posting six in the seventh.
 
Two batters after a bunt single with one out in the sixth, Anjolee Aguilar-Beaucage put the Bison in front as she hit her first homerun as a Bison and the third of her career to give NDSU a 2-0 lead. In a seven pitch at bat, Aguilar-Beaucage hit a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left.
 
On the very next pitch, Reanna Rudd sent another ball over the fence in left as she hit her first homerun of the season to extend the Bison lead to 3-0.
 
Following a run from the Cougars in the bottom of the sixth, NDSU responded to take control of the game. With two runners on, Ava Chavarria and Emilee Buringa hit back-to-back RBI singles to score two runs and extend the lead to 5-1.
 
The Bison then loaded the bases, setting up another RBI for Aguilar-Beaucage, as she was hit by a pitch. Rudd then stepped in and added two more runs with a double, before Kaylee Moore hit a sacrifice fly for the final run of the game.
 
Lainey Lyle picked up her third victory of the season as she allowed just one run on five hits with two strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Paige Vargas entered the game in the sixth and picked up a 5-out save, her second of the season, allowing just one hit with three strikeouts.
 
Buringa led the Bison with three hits in the game. Rudd and Chavarria each had two hits. Rudd and Aguilar-Beaucage each finished with three RBIs.
 
In game two, the Bison picked up the offense right where it ended in game one, scoring four runs in the top of the first. Aguilar-Beaucage started a two-out rally in the inning with a solo home run to left. The Bison then loaded the bases and Chavarria would clear them with a double to right center to put NDSU up 4-0 after one.
 
In the second inning, the Bison would score five runs, starting with a sacrifice bunt from Carley Goetschius to the right side, allowing Ella Claus to score from third. In the next at bat, Aguilar-Beaucage would single home Emilee Buringa from third to extend the lead to 6-0.
 
NDSU then drew a pair of walks and, for the second-straight inning, Chavarria had a bases loaded RBI as she singled in Aguilar-Beaucage. Skylar Padgett then produced another RBI single, before Claus, who led off the inning with a walk, drew her second walk of the inning to give the Bison a 9-0 lead.
 
Rudd would hit her second home run of the day for the Bison in the third inning with a solo shot to extend the lead to double figures. In the fourth inning, the Bison would get a lead off walk and a single before Aguilar-Beaucage hit her second home run of the game with a three-run home run to right center.
 
With her second home run, Aguilar-Beaucage became the 19^th different Bison with a multi-home run game and the first since Rudd hit two against North Dakota in May of last season.
 
Bella Dean would add another run later in the fourth, as she hit an RBI single to score Rudd for the fourth time in the game. Rudd's four runs matched a D1 era record for the Bison and was one shy of the program record overall.
 
After four runs from Memphis in the bottom of the fourth, Padgett would lead off the fifth with a solo home run, the fourth home run of the game for NDSU and the sixth for the day. The four home runs is tied for the second most in a game in program history.
 
Paige Vargas picked up with win in three innings of work. She allowed four runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Piper Reed tossed the final two innings, retiring the Tigers in order with one strikeout.
 
Aguilar-Beaucage and Moore finished with three hits each, while Buringa, Rudd, Chavarria, and Padgett had two hits. Claus did not have an official at bat in the game, but reached on three walks. Rudd and Dean had two walks each.
 
The Bison will wrap up the Blues City Classic on Sunday, taking on Texas-San Antonio in a rematch of a game on Friday. First pitch is slated for 11:30 a.m. at the Tiger Softball Complex.