JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Dakota State softball picked up a pair of wins on day two of the River City Leadoff, defeating Colgate 9-4 before shutting out host North Florida 2-0 at the UNF Softball Complex.
Senior
Bella Dean homered in both games and finished with five RBI for the Bison (5-1). Freshman
Jocelyn McClary tossed 10 scoreless innings, including a complete game shutout of North Florida (3-1) in her first career start.
Just like in the season opener against Colgate (1-2), the Raiders jumped out to an early lead, scoring three runs in the top of the first. Dean answered for the Bison in the bottom of the first. After
Amai Hanta led off with a walk, Dean hit her first home run of the day down the left field line.
The Bison then loaded the bases in the second inning and scored two runs on an error from Colgate to take the lead. Dean then stepped up and hit a double to right center to extend the NDSU lead to 5-3.
After Colgate scored a run on a solo home run in the third, the Bison would add two more runs in the fourth and fifth innings. NDSU loaded the bases in the fourth and scored two more runs on an error. In the fifth,
Lileigh Nieto led off the inning with a 10-pitch walk.
Mya Boos then hit her first career home run with a shot over the fence in left center for the final runs of the game.
Madison Wihlm picked up the win in the circle, recording six strikeouts in four innings, allowing four runs.
Jocelyn McClary picked up a three-inning save, scattering three hits with four strikeouts in a scoreless outing.
Dean finished with three hits and three RBI in the game, scoring two runs.
Star Cortez also had multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Hanta, Nieto and Boos all finished with a hit and a walk. Nieto and Boos had two runs scored.
In game two against host North Florida, the Bison threatened with multiple runners in scoring positions in the first two innings, but were unable to get a run across. McClary settled into a pitcher's duel for the Bison as the game went scoreless into the fifth inning.
Dean broke the tie in the fifth inning with her fourth home run of the weekend and second of the day, as she hit another two-run home run with Hanta on second.
North Florida answered back and loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth, but McClary picked up a strikeout and a pop out to get out of the jam. The Ospreys would threaten again in the seventh, getting the first two on base with back-to-back singles, but the Bison were able to get a pair of flyouts and a groundout to end the game.
Dean, Hanta and Cortez each finished with two hits in the game. Nieto had the other Bison hit. McClary finished with six strikeouts, scattering eight hits and a walk. After 4.2 scoreless innings on Friday, McClary extends her scoreless inning streak to 14.2 innings to begin her collegiate career.
The Bison will close out the River City Leadoff on Sunday, as NDSU takes on North Florida for a second time. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT at the UNF Softball Complex.
