NDSU Softball Blanks St. Thomas in Doubleheader

ST. PAUL, Minn. The North Dakota State softball team got a double whammy Sunday at South Field in St. Thomas. The Bison won the first game 5-0 before going 9-0 in six innings in the second game.

Paige Vargas was dominant in Game 1 as he had a career-high 14 strikeouts to lead the way with his fifth shutout of the season. Vargas hit the milestone with his first strikeout, reaching the 500 career mark.

Vargas would get two strikeouts in each of the first three innings before striking out half in the fourth. After just one stroke in the fifth set, the senior was knocked down again in the sixth before the final stroke in the seventh.

Bella Dean would give the Bison the lead in the top of the fourth. After the walk Anjolee Aguilar-BeaucageDean hit his team-leading seventh home run of the season with a shot to left.

The Bison would add three more in the seventh with RBI singles from Aguilar-Beaucage and Dean before an RBI Reanna Rudd. Dean went 3-4 with three RBIs.

In another game Lainey Lyle picked up his third shutout in league play as he scattered four hits and three walks with a pair of strikeouts in six innings.

Emilee Buringa gave the Bison the lead with a two-RBI single in the second inning. The Bison would extend their lead in the fourth, as Chloe Woldruff tripled down the right field line to score Kaylee Moore.

In the next two bats Buringa and Carley Goetschius hit back-to-back home runs to extend the Bison lead to 6-0. The Bison loaded the bases in the sixth inning for Aguilar-Beaucage, who hit a bases-clearing double up the middle to cap the scoring.

Buringa finished game two 3-for-4 with four RBIs. Moore and Woldruff also finished the game with two hits and two runs scored.

The Bison wrap up the series on Monday with a final game against the Tommies. The series finale is set for 14:00 at South Field.