BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – North Dakota State softball picked up a pair of wins to open up the Spring in The Springs event hosted by Gardener-Webb, defeating New Haven 8-0 before topping host Gardner-Webb 8-5 at Brinkley Stadium.
 
The Bison opened up the day with a run-rule victory over New Haven, topping the Chargers in six innings. Madison Wihlm and Piper Reed combined for the third NDSU shutout of the season. Wihlm tossed 4.2 hitless innings with seven strikeouts and five walks. Reed tossed the final 1.1 innings needed, allowing two hits with one strikeout.
 
NDSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, as Zoe King hit an RBI single to score Amai Hanta for the opening run. King and Star Cortez then scored on a single from Lileigh Nieto.
 
Jasmyn Yessian added a run in the third with an RBI single to score Mya Boos. Savannah Henzler then hit a two-RBI double in the fifth, scoring Yessian and Nieto, before she came around to score on an error. Bella Dean closed out the game in the bottom of the sixth inning, hitting her team-leading fifth home run of the season.
 
Yessian and Henzler finished with two hits each in the game, while Nieto also reached twice with a hit and a walk. Eight of the nine Bison in the lineup reached safely with a hit or a walk in the contest.
 
In game two, the Bison jumped out to another 3-0 lead, going in front in the top of the second. Jessica Delatorre started the scoring with an RBI double to score Zoe King. In the next at bat, Ella Claus singled home Taylinn Warren and Delatorre.
 
After Gardner-Webb scored a run in the third, the Bison extended the lead in the fifth inning, scoring four runs beginning with a two-RBI double from Cortez. Dean then traded places with Cortez on an RBI double and later scored on an RBI single from Mya Boos to extend the lead to 7-1.
 
Following another run by Gardner-Webb in the bottom of the sixth, Nieto capped the NDSU scoring with an RBI single in the seventh to score Dean.
 
The hosts would answer back with a home run in the bottom of the seventh before another run to bring the tying run to the plate. However, Wihlm entered the game and picked up her first save of the season.
 
All nine starters in the lineup for the Bison picked up at least one hit or a walk, including one each from Dean, King, Boos and Delatorre. Jocelyn McClary picked up the win, allowing two runs in 5.1 innings of work.
 
The Bison will be back in action at the Spring in The Springs Invitational on Saturday. NDSU will take on New Haven for a second time and Lafayette immediately following, beginning at 9 a.m. CT. from Brinkley Stadium.