JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Dakota State softball opened up the 2026 season on Friday with a split at the River City Leadoff hosted by Jacksonville University at the Pruitt Softball Complex. The Bison had a comeback bid fall short against Colgate in the opening game, losing 8-6. NDSU then won 5-2 over host Jacksonville in the second game.
 
Colgate jumped out to an early lead in game one that NDSU was unable to recover from. The Raiders hit three home runs to take a 5-0 lead in the top of the first.
 
Bella Dean responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the first and Lileigh Nieto added another run with an RBI single to left center, scoring Amai Hanta.
 
After a scoreless second, Colgate would capitalize on a Bison error to score three more runs and extend their lead to 8-2.
 
NDSU would start a comeback in the fifth with Dean hitting her second home run of the game. It is the third time Dean has recorded a multi-home run game, tying Logan Moreland and Vanessa Anderson for the Bison record.
 
The Bison then added three more runs in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to two runs at 8-6. Morgan Zimmerman's single helped bring in Taylinn Warren and Nieto with help of an error for the first two runs in the inning. Zimmerman then scored on an RBI ground out from Bella Dean.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, NDSU loaded the bases, getting the tying run to second with one out, but Colgate recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the contest.
 
Dean finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBI. Nieto also finished with two hits and added a walk. Warren finished the game with a team-high three hits on a 3-for-4 game at the plate. Zoe King also had a hit and two walks and Star Cortez had a hit and a walk to reach multiple times. In the circle, Jocelyn McClary pitched 4.2 scoreless inning in relief, allowing just two hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
 
In game two, the Bison took the lead in the opening at bats, with Hanta hitting a lead off single before Dean hit an RBI double to left center to score Hanta and give NDSU the lead.
 
Jacksonville would answer back with a RBI single to score a run from second after a hit by pitch and a walk, tying the game at 1-1.
 
Madison Wihlm then settled into the circle for the Bison and tossed four scoreless innings in a pitcher's duel. NDSU broke the tie in the fifth, as NDSU would load the bases and Jessica Delatorre hit an RBI single to right. Nieto and Mya Boos would then bat in runs on fielder's choices in the next to at bats, giving NDSU a 4-1 lead.
 
The Bison extended the lead in the sixth, as Warren had an RBI groundout that scored Cortez from third.
 
The Dolphins would add their second run in the bottom of the sixth, cutting the deficit to 5-2, but Wihlm, followed by Piper Reed in the seventh would silence Jacksonville the rest of the way.
 
Wihlm picked up the win on 6.1 innings of work, allowing two runs on six hits and three strikeouts. Reed picked up her first save with the final two outs, including a strikeout.
 
North Dakota State will return to action on Saturday with games three and four of the River City Leadoff, switching to the other co-host, North Florida's venue. The Bison will take on Colgate a second time at 2 p.m. CT, before facing North Florida at 4 p.m. CT. Both games will be played at the UNF Softball Complex.