Game 1
After a quiet first inning for both teams, North Dakota was able to put three on the board in the top of the second and Seattle U answered back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning.
The Redhawks added another run to the board in the bottom of the third, as Lisa Maulden (Maple Valley, Wash.) scored on a Jenny Hurst (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) single, to tie the game, 3-3 until the top of the sixth inning.
In the top of the sixth, D Jantzer doubled, scoring Cami Bennett and Caralyn Chewning, to add two more runs to the board for North Dakota and put them ahead, 5-3, until the seventh inning.
Seattle U was able to add one more run to the board in the bottom of the seventh, as Mandie Sugita (Rossmoor, Calif.) hit her first home run of the year. The team, however, left two runners on base to end the inning, and fell to North Dakota, 5-4.
Richelle Ashburn (Post Falls, Idaho) got the start for the Redhawks, pitching 5 1/3 innings and giving up all five runs, four of which were earned. She walked one and struck out three. Sugita entered the game in relief, pitching 1 2/3 innings.
Michelle Frank pitched the entire game for North Dakota and notched the win, allowing four runs on nine hits, while walking two and striking out four.
Game 2
After a loss in the first game, the Redhawks powered back to win the second contest, 11-4.
Seattle U took the early lead, putting three early runs on the board, and led 3-0 after the first two innings. They added another run in the bottom of the fourth, and led 4-0 going into the fifth inning.
In the top of the fifth, North Dakota was able to add four runs of their own to the board to quickly tie the game, thanks in part to a 2RBI home run by Brittany Baker.
However, the Redhawks would not keep a close game for long and added six runs to the board in the bottom of the fifth and tacked on another in the bottom of the sixth. Jessica Ulrich (Lewiston, Idaho) hit her first home run of the year in the fifth inning to bring home Erin Crowley (Kent, Wash.).
Ulrich got the start and win for the Redhawks, allowing four runs, only one of which was earned, on five hits, while walking one and striking out one batter.
Emma Gronseth got the start for North Dakota, giving up four runs on six hits. Lexa Twist entered in relief and gave up two runs, and the lead, to earn the loss. Abby Jo Tometich came in for the final two innings, giving up the final five runs.
"Jessica hit and threw well in game two," said head coach Dan Powers. "We hit the ball better, but are still not putting it all together."
Seattle U (5-8) continues local play, competing in the Husky Softball Classic hosted by nearby University of Washington, for the remainder of the weekend. The Redhawks are scheduled to play two games versus North Dakota, at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Mar. 10, and 10 a.m. on Sunday, Mar. 11, and two games versus Washington, at 3 p.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday.