FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State softball picked up a pair of victories on Sunday against Kansas City, sweeping the opening two games of the Summit League series with wins of 2-1 and 11-1 at Tharaldson Park.
In game one, NDSU took the lead with a
Mya Boos RBI single to score
Lileigh Nieto in the second inning. After Kansas City answered with a run in the fourth to tie the game, the Bison would regain the lead in the fifth, as
Bella Dean worked a bases loaded walk for the go-ahead and final run of the game.
Jocelyn McClary went the distance, scattering eight hits as she picked up her 11
th win of the season and her fourth complete game shut in Summit League play. Nieto led the Bison at the plate, going 2-for-3, while Dean was 1-for-2 with a walk.
In game two, the Bison took an early lead, as Nieto hit a sacrifice fly to score
Amai Hanta in the first inning. Hanta then jump started a five-run second inning with the first of four RBI singles in the inning, including three straight from Dean,
Jessica Delatorre and Nieto.
Taylinn Warren then capped the scoring in the inning with a bases loaded walk.
Kansas City would score their only run of the game in the third inning, before NDSU scored five more runs in the bottom of the fifth to secure a walk-off, run-rule victory. After three straight singles to start the fifth,
Star Cortez had a bases loaded walk to make it 7-1.
Dean then capped a 4-for-4 game at the plate, as she stepped up and hit a grand slam over the fence in left to end the game. It was the first career four-hit game for Dean and the first for a Bison since Cortez against Maryland-Eastern Shore in March of 2025. Dean's five RBIs was also a career high for the senior.
Dean's second career grand slam was also the second of the season for the Bison and first since February. It is also just the second NDSU grand slam since the dedication of Tharaldson Park, joining Skylar Padgett against North Dakota on May 1, 2022.
Hanta finished the game with three hits and Delatorre and
Zoe King also had two hits to join Dean with multi-hit performances.
NDSU will wrap up the series against Kansas City on Monday, looking to complete the sweep of the Roos. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Tharaldson Park.
