College Softball: NDSU Completes the Sweep of SDSU

NDSU tied for first in Summit at 10-5.

FARGO, N.D. (NDSU Athletics) –Jax Sertic tossed a five-hitter and battery mate Tabby Heinz knocked in the only run of the game as North Dakota State blanked South Dakota State 1-0 in a Summit League softball game played Sunday, April 30, before 156 fans at the Ellig Sports Complex.

The Bison completed a three-game Summit League series sweep over SDSU to move into a first place tie with Western Illinois in the standings, each with 10-5 league records. Both teams are a half-game ahead of IUPUI, which stands at 9-5 headed into the final weekend.

North Dakota State (10-5 SL, 23-28) is scheduled to close out the regular season at Omaha (4-5 SL, 13-26) on May 5-6.

NDSU scored the game’s only run in the second inning. Bre Beatty went 10 pitches with South Dakota State pitcher Madison Hope before drawing a lead-off walks. Montana DeCamp sacrificed Beatty to second. Heinz took a 2-1 pitch and dropped a two-out single into center field to score Beatty.

Hope (0-8) allowed just one more hit after that, a two-out single to Stephanie Soriano in the third. Soriano was retired quickly after being called out for leaving first too early. Hope then set down the next nine batters in a row. She walked two and struck out one over six innings.

Sertic, a junior right-hander from Sparks, Nev., had to deal with SDSU baserunners in all but two innings during the contest. She found a way to work out of trouble to record her fifth shutout of the season and first since March 5 against Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

Trouble came in the fifth inning when the Jackrabbits’ Yanney Ponce led off with a double to right and then moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. However, Sertic relied on her defense as second baseman Zoe Stavrou and right fielder Bre Beatty both turned in alert plays. She hit the first batter in the top of the seventh, but retired the next three Jackrabbits to end the game.

Sertic finished with nine strikeouts and one walk over seven innings to improve to 15-20 overall.

Julia Andersen had two hits to pace South Dakota State (4-11 SL, 17-33).