Minneapolis, MN – The Wagner College softball team split a doubleheader against North Dakota State on Saturday, March 1. The Seahawks won the first game, 9-6, but dropped the second game ,12-6.
Game 1: Wagner 9, North Dakota State 6
The first three innings of the game saw both teams struggling to find their rhythm. However, the Seahawks broke through in the fourth inning. Freshman
Lilly Banse singled to right field, allowing sophomore Sydney Trujillo to advance to third base and junior
Geanice Morales to score the first run of the game. Banse's single set the stage for sophomore
Brityn Buchanan, who doubled to center field, bringing both Banse and Trujillo home to give Wagner a 3-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, with junior
Payton Janicki on third and Trujillo on second, freshman
Taylor Reynolds singled to right field, driving in Janicki for the fourth run. Banse followed up with another single, this time to left field, which allowed Trujillo to score, extending the lead to 5-1. North Dakota State responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning, cutting the Seahawks' lead to 5-3.
The Seahawks continued their dominants in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, Janicki, Morales, and freshman
Emma Rocha all crossed home plate, thanks to a double from Trujillo, making it 8-3.
In the seventh inning, with the bases loaded once again, Buchanan, Banse, and Reynolds all reached base, and a flyout by sophomore
Leilani Gonzales to center field allowed Reynolds to score Wagner's ninth and final run. North Dakota State mounted a late comeback, scoring four runs, but it wasn't enough as the Seahawks held on for a 9-6 victory.
Sophomore
Karson Zavala pitched a complete game, going all seven innings, allowing 10 hits, and giving up six runs. Despite not recording any strikeouts, Zavala induced 9 fly outs and 12 ground outs, benefiting from solid defensive play behind her.
Game 2: Wagner 6, North Dakota State 12
The Bison came out strong in the second game, scoring their first run in the first inning. Wagner responded in the third inning with a run of their own. Rocha led off with a double to right-center, allowing Janicki to score and put the Seahawks on the board.
In the fourth inning, the Seahawks added two more runs. Gonzales singled to center field, advancing sophomore
Noelle Estephan to third base, which allowed Banse to score. Later, with second and third base occupied by junior
Jordyn Dulken and Gonzales, Morales singled to second base, bringing both Dulken and Gonzales home, making it 3-1 in favor of Wagner.
However, North Dakota State answered back, scoring eight runs over the next three innings. Wagner continued to add runs, including three more in the fifth and sixth innings, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Bison's offense. The game ended with a 12-6 victory for North Dakota.
In the circle, junior
Emma Crosby started the game, pitching 3.0 innings and allowing seven hits, four runs (three earned), one walk, and two strikeouts. Junior
Dallas Garcia relieved Crosby, giving up four hits and five runs (four earned) in 3.0 innings. Junior
Sophia Schmeglar pitched 0.2 innings, allowing one hit and two runs, and junior
Natalie Rodriguez finished the game, allowing two hits and one run in 1.0 inning.
The Seahawks will be back in action on Sunday, March 2, as they take on St. Thomas in the final game of the Gopher Classic tournament.
