College Softball: Bison Score Three in the Sixth to Down Jags

NDSU gets back in the win column with 7-4 victory.

FARGO, N.D. (NDSU Athletics) — Dani Renner lifted a go-ahead three-run home run and KK Leddy notched a complete game as North Dakota State came back to defeat IUPUI 7-4 on a cold and windy Sunday, April 9, before 128 spectators at the Ellig Sports Complex. The Bison avoided being swept in league play for the first time since March 2011 and at home since April 2010.

NDSU (4-2 SL, 16-23) is scheduled to play at North Dakota at 4 p.m. Tuesday and then entertain South Dakota (4-5 SL, 13-24) in a three-game Summit League series on April 14-15 at the Ellig Sports Complex.

Renner, a junior from White Bear Lake, Minn. (White Bear Lake H.S.), lifted a 1-1 pitch over the left center field fence with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning to score Montana DeCamp and pinch-runner Courtney Johnson and break a 4-4 tie. It was the second home run of the season for Renner. DeCamp led off the inning with an infield single and moved to third on Julia Luciano’s sacrifice bunt and IUPUI throwing error.

North Dakota State pitcher KK Leddy (5-6) worked past a single and an error by getting a fielder’s choice, ground out and strikeout to record the win. Leddy struck out seven, allowed five hits and walked two.

The Bison scratched out single runs in the first and third innings to take a 2-0 lead. Madyson Camacho scored on a Jaguars’ error in the bottom of the first, while Zoe Stavrou doubled off the center field fence to knock in Camacho in the third. Camacho went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.

However, Delaney Thompson delivered what appeared to be a knock-out punch with two outs in the top of the fourth inning with a grand slam home run over the tall right field fence to put IUPUI ahead 4-2. Maggie Armstrong and Thompson each had two hits.

North Dakota State chipped away starting in the bottom of the fourth inning. Luciano lined a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence with two outs to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Stephanie Soriano and Camacho led off the fifth with back-to-back singles. Soriano scored from second on Vanessa Anderson’s towering sacrifice fly to the warning track in center.

Erica Tharp (6-11) took the loss for the Jaguars. Tharp gave up nine hits, struck out three and walked one.