North Dakota State University softball defeated South Dakota 4-1 in the opening game of their Summit League series on April 10 at Nygaard Field in Vermillion, South Dakota.
The win gives North Dakota State a strong start to the conference matchup. The game featured key performances from both pitchers and hitters as the Bison secured their eighth win for pitcher Jocelyn McClary.
McClary struck out four batters over the first two innings, keeping the game close until Bella Dean broke through with a bases-clearing double in the third inning. This hit marked Dean’s ninth multi-RBI game of the season and her team-leading thirteenth double. Ella Claus began that rally with a double, followed by walks from Amai Hanta and Star Cortez to load the bases for Dean.
South Dakota scored its only run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. McClary limited them to four hits and finished with six strikeouts. In the seventh inning, Lileigh Nieto doubled and later scored on Claus’s single, giving Claus her third multi-hit game this year.
The teams will continue their series on Saturday at Nygaard Field, with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.
