The UND softball team defeated Northern State 5-3 after struggling early in their third fall season game at Albrecht Field on Sunday.
Senior Outfielder Hannah Thompson blooped a clutch 2-run double into the left field in the bottom of the 6th to put UND up 4-3 over Northern State.
Thompson was hitting the ball at will all game, as she went three for three with a walk and three RBIs.
Junior Outfielder Brooklyn Morris was a firecracker not only on the field, but at the plate for the Fighting Hawks. Morris went two for four with an RBI triple. Morris also had the play of the game in the field with a diving catch in center during the 2nd inning.
The Fighting Hawks started the game slow and sloppy, giving up two runs in the first inning after an error. Mental mistakes in the field and on the bases had Head Coach Jordan Stevens visibly frustrated.
Northern State’s Senior Starting Pitcher Abby Rux gave the Fighting Hawks trouble for the first four innings as they could not crack any runs in.
The Fighting Hawks finally cracked Rux’s code in the bottom of the 5th, trailing 3-0. Freshman Outfielder Makenna Alexander led off the inning with a single. Morris was up next, and she proceeded to smack a triple into the gap. Then Thompson hit a single, scoring Morris, and making it a 3-2 ball game. UND finally had some energy and life.
The Fighting Hawks were trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the 6th when Northern State made a pitching change.
Down to their last out in the bottom of the 6th, Junior Katelyn Neumayer reached first on an error, which was followed up by a single from Morris. With runners on first and second, Thompson scored them with a clutch double. Then, to widen the gap, Senior Infielder Angie Dumlao scored Thompson with a single up the middle to put UND up 5-3.
Sophomore Pitcher Emily Marr entered the game in the top of the 7th and closed out the game with a strikeout, sealing the deal for the Fighting Hawks.
The Fighting Hawks had four different players pitch throughout the game, with Freshman Tehya Armstrong getting the start. She threw for 2 ⅔ innings striking out three batters and allowing two runs, with one being off of an error. Senior Jackie Albrecht and Junior Camryn Lasota pitched the middle innings.
The Fighting Hawks ended the game with 12 hits and two errors. Northern State had five hits and two errors.
This was the first game of the Sunday doubleheader against Northern State. UND has four games left of the fall season. UND’s next game is Wednesday, October 2 at Albrecht Field against Minnesota Crookston.
Elijah Andrews is the Dakota Student Sports Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].
