A Three-run Double from Mariah Peters and Complete Game Shutout by Makaela Carr Lift Fighting Hawks to Sweep of Bison

PHOTO/RUSSEL HONS

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (UND ATHLETICS)– The North Dakota softball team got back into its Summit League schedule Saturday, taking on North Dakota State in twinbill. In game one, NoDak came back from a 4-1 deficit to win 5-4 and in the second game Makaela Carr kept the Bison off the scoreboard and Cassie Castaneda got the game winning hit to lift the green and white to a 1-0 win.

Game one

NDSU got a two-run single in the top of the first inning to take an early lead, but the Fighting Hawks were able to get one back in the bottom of the second as Katie Joten was hit by pitch to get on, Angie Dumlao reached on an error and then Johanna Rodriguez singled up the middle to load the bases. Izzy Haslett came to the plate and walked to bring a run in.

Despite getting runners on base in every inning, UND trailed 4-1 after NDSU picked up runs in the top of the third and the fifth. The damage was limited in the third frame after Brooklyn Morris made a spectacular diving catch with two outs that kept the game at 3-1. In the bottom of the fifth Castaneda led off with a single to left, followed by singles from Katelyn Neumayer and Mariah Peters to load the bases for Brooklyn Morris. She flared a ball into right field that was deep enough to bring Castaneda in to score and make it 4-2.

Jackie Albrecht kept runners from scoring from second and third in the top of the sixth to keep the game at 4-2. Rodriguez singled to right field to lead off the sixth inning, followed by a walk from Haslett. Olivia Dick pinch ran for Haslett, and later Castaneda singled to load the bases. Peters came to the plate with two outs, and drilled a ball into center field that brought all three runners in to score and give UND the lead. From there, Albrecht went 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to seal the win.

Albrecht got the win while Addie Bowers took the loss.

Game two

The second game was a pitcher’s duel between Makaela Carr and NDSU’s Kaitlyn Danford. Carr set a new career high with ten strikeouts en route to a shutout. Carr fanned her first batter of the day with two outs in the first inning that stranded a runner on third base. In the second, after NDSU led off with a single for the second straight inning and followed with a sac bunt, Carr got the next two batters swinging to end the frame. In the fourth, after two walks and single, the bases were loaded with two outs but Carr got another swinging strikeout to get out of the inning. In the top of the fifth Carr struck out three straight batters after allowing a leadoff single.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Fighting Hawk bats started to wake up as Castaneda led off with a single and Neumayer followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position. While NoDak did not strike in the inning, the momentum followed into the sixth inning as Haslett singled to center field, and Dick came in to pinch run. Taya Hopfauf followed with a single to put runners on first and second and Castaneda drilled a ball up the middle and Dick came in to score the game’s only run. In the top of the seventh, Carr struck out two more batters to close the game and reach double digit K’s.

Carr got the win while Danford took the loss.

The Fighting Hawks will conclude the three-game set with the Bison tomorrow at 1 p.m.