Bison Fall to #2 Alabama 3-2, Defeat SIU-Edwardsville 7-3 to Split at Easton Bama Bash

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.--North Dakota State fell 3-2 to 2nd-ranked Alabama, but bounced back to defeat Southern Illinois-Edwardsville 7-3 on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Easton Bama Bash before 1,427 at Rhoads Stadium. The Bison are 2-2 at the tournament.

North Dakota State (8-6) is scheduled to close out tournament play against East Carolina (7-5) at 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 26.

Taylor Mortensen quickly put the Bison ahead 1-0 against the host Crimson Tide (12-0) by hitting a lead-off home run to center field on a 3-2 pitch.

NDSU extended the lead to 2-0 in the top of the third inning. Jamie Gay led off with a single, advanced to second on a Brandi Enriquez sacrifice bunt and scored on a Mortensen double.

Alabama rallied in the bottom of the third. Danae Hays led off the frame with a home run to left center and then Cassie Reilly-Boccia put the Crimson Tide ahead 3-2 on a two-out, two-run homer to center.

North Dakota State had several chances. A threat in the fourth was ended on a line drive double play off the bat of Gay, while Alabama pitcher Jackie Traina recorded two of 13 strikeouts to snuff out a rally in the sixth.

Traina (7-0) allowed four hits and walked two. Whitney Johnson (6-3) picked up the loss for NDSU. Johnson struck out seven, allowed four hits and walked two.

North Dakota State rallied from a 2-1 deficit against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. The Bison tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth on Mortensen's run-scoring single. It was Mortensen's third RBI of the day.

NDSU broke the tie with two runs in the top of the sixth on RBI singles from Jenina Ortega and Alex Sobrero.

Freshman Amanda Grable put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh by hitting a three-run home run to left field. It was Grable's second home run of the season. She finished 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Johnson, who came in relief of Bison starter Krista Menke, worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh with no outs. The Bison needed game-ending line drive double play by Grable at third base to end the SIU-E comeback attempt.