LAS VEGAS, Nev. – North Dakota State softball picked up a sweep on day two of the UNLV Red & Black Classic, topping Utah Tech 10-2 in five innings and UNLV 14-7 at Eller Media Stadium.
In game one of the day, the Bison jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, as
Bella Dean hit an RBI single and
Zoe King added a sacrifice fly. After Utah Tech answered with a run in the third, the Bison scored two more in the bottom half with a
Lileigh Nieto RBI single and
Mya Boos stealing home.
Utah Tech would add another run in the fourth, but Dean responded with a two-RBI double in the bottom of the fourth, followed by a RBI single from Boos to make it 7-2. The Bison would score three more in the fifth to trigger the run-rule win.
Macy Fry started the scoring in the fifth with an RBI single. Dean then added her fourth RBI on her third hit of the day and Boos sealed the game with her second RBI single of the game.
Jocelyn McClary tossed a complete game in the win, allowing just five hits and one earned run with two strikeouts.
Taylinn Warren, who led off the game with a triple, joined Dean and Boos with multi-hit efforts in the game.
In game two, UNLV took an early lead with a bases clearing double in the bottom of the second. However, NDSU responded with 10-straight runs with four in the fourth, two in the fifth and four more in the sixth.
Jasmyn Yessian batted in the first run on a fielding error in center field.
Ella Claus then scored two more runs with a single. Warren capped the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly.
In the fifth inning, Boos started the scoring with a solo home run and later in the inning, Yessian batted in another run with an RBI groundout. King opened up the scoring in the sixth with a two-RBI double. Nieto and Yessian added RBI singles to put NDSU up 10-3.
UNLV would respond with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to cut the deficit to four, but NDSU answered right back with back-to-back RBI singles from Boos and Nieto in the seventh. Yessian then added a two-RBI single to cap the Bison scoring.
Nieto led the Bison with four hits in the game, while Boos had three and Yessian finished with two. Yessian finished with four RBI, while King, Boos and Nieto each had two RBI.
Addie Bowers picked up the win, recording four strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work with six runs allowed. McClary tossed the final 1.2 innings, allowing one run.
The Bison will wrap up the UNLV Red & Black Classic Sunday morning, as NDSU takes on Utah Tech in a rematch. First pitch is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. CT from Eller Media Stadium.
