North Dakota State Defeats Green Bay, Falls to Drake at Ramada UNI Dome Tournament

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa--North Dakota State defeated Green Bay 9-1 in five innings and lost to Drake 2-1 in nine innings during the opening day of the Ramada UNI Dome Softball Tournament on Friday, Feb. 8.

Official attendance for Alabama-Northern Iowa is 5,084, just shy of the NCAA regular-season single-date record (a Fresno State DH). The crowd was in the stands for the NDSU-Drake extra-inning game.

North Dakota State (1-1) is scheduled to play Illinois (0-1) at 9 a.m. and host Northern Iowa (0-1) at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9.

Freshman Cheyenne Garcia went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBI to spark NDSU's 10-hit offensive output against Green Bay. Garcia was one of eight freshmen to start for the North Dakota State.

Garcia's base-loaded triple to right center sparked a four-run second inning that put the Bison ahead 6-0.

Garcia doubled to lead off the fourth inning and Maritzah Lopez-Portillo followed with a two-run home run to close out the scoring. Lopez-Portillo finished with two hits, while Logan Moreland and Presley Glaser each went 2-for-2 with a run scored.

Sophomore righthander Krista Menke (1-0) scattered four hits, walked four and struck three to record the win. Briana Cavin and Tieraney Planasch pitched for the Phoenix with Cavin picking up the loss.

Amy Pierce scored on a fielder's choice with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Drake to the extra-inning win over North Dakota State in the second game. Playing speed up rules, Pierce was placed on second and advanced to third on a ground out.

Jordan Gronewold (1-0) and Rebekah Schmidt combined to pitch a two-hitter. Gronewold started the first 3-2/3 innings and closed out the final two for the Bulldogs. The pair combined to strike out 11 and walk six.

Laura Brewer's two-out single scored Pierce from second base in the second inning.

North Dakota State tied the game 1-1 in the top of the fifth inning. Glaser reached on an infield single, advanced to second on a throwing error and moved to third on a wild pitch. She scored on a ground out.

Whitney Johnson (0-1) picked up the loss. Johnson struck out seven, allowed six hits and walked one in 8-1/3 innings.