Aberdeen, SD (NSUWolves.com) – In their first official home games of the 2023 season the Northern State University softball team dropped a pair of contests to Concordia-St. Paul. The Wolves scored ten runs and tallied 13 hits in the contests, however costly errors gave the Golden Bears the ability to pull away.
THE QUICK DETAILS
Final Score Game 1: NSU 6, CSP 8
Final Score Game 2: NSU 4, CSP 13
Records: NSU 12-28 (6-14 NSIC), CSP 22-23 (8-12 NSIC)
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1
- Concordia took a 3-0 lead in their first two innings, however the Wolves tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the second
- Kyra Knudtson kicked off the inning with a single through the left side and came around to score on a single to right center by Kamdyn Barrientos
- Elly Smith and Emma Owens scored two at-bats later on an error by the second baseman, after reaching on a single down the right field line
- The Golden Bears regained the lead in the third with three runs and extended that lead with a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth
- Northern chipped away in the bottom of the sixth on a 2-out homerun to left by Alexandria Arndt, scoring Eden Ford
- Claire Zbylut led off the seventh with a double to right and scored on a ground out by Avarie Eagle
- Zbylut was the team’s final run of the contest in a game that saw NSU leave five runners on base
- Lexi Chase started for Northern and suffered the loss, giving up six earned runs on nine hits
- Abby Rux entered in relief, throwing the final 4.2 innings of work with four hits, two earned runs, and three strikeouts
- Smith led the Wolves offense with a 2-hit game and added a run scored
NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Elly Smith: 2-for-3, 1 run
- Alexandria Arndt: 1-for-3, 1 run, 2 RBI, homerun
- Claire Zbylut: 1-for-3, 1 run, 1 double
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2
- The Golden Bears took charge in game two, jumping out to a 6-0 lead through the middle of the third
- Northern plated their first two runs of the game in the bottom of the third off a sacrifice line-out by Liv Richardson (scoring Alexandria Arndt) and single through the left by Avarie Eagle (scoring Ashley Fauske)
- The Wolves continued to chip away in the fourth and fifth with a pair of runs scored by Kamdyn Barrientos and Kyra Knudtson
- CSP broke the game open in the sixth with five runs and tacked on another two in the top of the seventh
- Abby Rux suffered the loss in the start, giving up six runs (three earned) on six hits
- Abby Meads entered in relief, throwing the final 4.1 innings of work giving up seven earned runs and ten hits
- Knudtson led the Wolves offense with two hits and one run scored in the game
NORTHERN STATE STATISTICAL STANDOUTS
- Kyra Knudtson: 2-for-3, 1 run, walk
UP NEXT
Northern returns to Koehler Hall of Fame Field tomorrow for an NSIC doubleheader hosting Minnesota State. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. between the Wolves and Mavericks.