NDSU Softball Tops Iowa State, Falls to #22 Ole Miss

OXFORD, Miss. – North Dakota State softball split day two of the Rebel Invitational, defeating Iowa State 8-6 in nine innings, before falling to No. 22 Ole Miss 9-1 in five innings at the Ole Miss Softball Stadium.
 
The Bison fell behind in the first inning of game one, as Iowa State jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a home run and an RBI double. However, the Bison answered back with two runs in the top of the second, as Amai Hanta’s ball in play allowed Zoe King and Bella Dean to score on an error. Dean then gave the Bison the lead in the third inning with a sacrifice fly to score Taylinn Warren.
 
Iowa State would level the game in the third before a pair of scoreless innings. NDSU went back in front in the sixth inning, as Jasmyn Yessian hit a two-RBI double down the left field line with the bases loaded, scoring Ava Chavarria and Ella Claus.
 
After Iowa State again leveled the game in the bottom of the seventh to set up extra innings, Yessian batted in another run to put NDSU in front with a single up the middle to score Dean. Iowa State would again match the Bison with a run in the bottom half, sending the game to the ninth.
 
Hanta would single in the ninth, which moved Warren to third and then home on an error to put the Bison back in front. Chloe Woldruff, who extended her hit streak to 13 earlier in the game, added an insurance run as she doubled to right center, scoring Warren to put the Bison up 8-6. Savy Williams then recorded three-straight outs in a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to secure the win.
 
Williams picked up the win in relief, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings. Addie Bowers allowed two runs in two innings with one strikeout in a no decision from her start. Piper Reed allowed three runs, two earned, in 4.1 innings. Kaitlyn Dunford also tossed an inning, allowing one unearned run.
 
Woldruff led the Bison with three hits. Warren and Yessian also had multi-hit games with two each. Yessian led the Bison with three RBI.
 
In game two, the Bison went behind in the second inning, as Ole Miss scored three runs. NDSU answered back with a run in the third, as Star Cortez hit an RBI double down the left field line to score Yessian.
 
However, Ole Miss would respond with a run in the third and then another in the fourth to go up 5-1. In the bottom of the fifth, the Rebels scored four runs to secure a run-rule victory.
 
Bella Dean recorded two of NDSU’s four hits in the game, joining Yessian and Cortez. Piper Reed picked up the loss, allowing eight runs in four innings on seven hits. She finished with one strikeout.
 
Chloe Woldruff’s hit streak and reached base streak came to an end. Woldruff’s streak ends at 13, tied for ninth longest in NDSU’s Division I era.
 
NDSU’s game against Ole Miss on Saturday at the Rebel Invitational has been canceled due to forecasted weather for the region.