PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – North Dakota State softball fell to RV Brigham Young on Wednesday, falling 3-2 on the opening day of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge at Nancy Almaraz Field.
The Bison (3-3) gave up three runs in the second inning to go behind, but the defense, led by Piper Reed in the circle, would hold the Cougars (4-0) scoreless the rest of the way. BYU was held to its lowest run total of the season, after scoring at least eight runs in each of the first three games.
NDSU started a comeback effort in the fifth inning, as Bella Dean scored Lileigh Nieto on an RBI groundout. In the seventh, Taylinn Warren led off the inning with a pinch-hit single and the Bison would get a second runner on as Star Cortez reached on an error. After a sacrifice bunt gave NDSU runners at second and third, Dean hit a deep sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to one and move Cortez to third.
Following a walk to put runners on the corners, Zoe King grounded a 3-2 pitch back to the pitcher for the final out. The Bison, who got baserunners on in every inning, stranded nine baserunners, while BYU stranded eight.
Jessica Delatorre led the Bison with two hits in the game, the first multi-hit game of the freshman’s career. Amai Hanta, Nieto and Warren joined Delatorre with hits. Nieto, Chloe Woldruff and Jasmyn Yessian each had a walk in the game.
Reed picked up the loss, allowing the three runs on 10 hits in 5.1 innings of work. She finished with one strikeout and one walk allowed. Kaitlyn Dunford tossed the final two outs for NDSU, forcing a flyout and a strikeout.
The Bison will be back in action on Thursday with two games at Nancy Almaraz Field, taking on Boise State at 1 p.m., before facing Indiana at 7 p.m.
https://gobison.com/news/2025/2/12/ndsu-softball-comeback-falls-short-vs-byu.aspx