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Softball
North Dakota 5, Dayton 4Feb. 9, 2008
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - A rally in the bottom of the seventh inning allowed North Dakota to avenge an earlier loss and even its record in the Ramada UNI-Dome Classic, as the Fighting Sioux came from behind to top Dayton, 5-4. The victory came on the heels of a loss in which South Dakota State rallied to down the Sioux (1-1) earlier in the day, and also gave head coach Sami Strinz her first win at North Dakota. Trailing 4-3 entering the bottom of the seventh, the Sioux's rally began with Melissa Mowry reaching after being hit by a pitch. A sacrifice bunt moved Mowry to second, allowing her to score on a single up the middle by Abby Rehberger and knot things at 4-4. Another sacrifice, this one by Nicole Larson, moved Rehberger into scoring position. Amber Roth then delivered a clutch, two-out single to left that, combined with a Dayton field error, allowed Rehberger to cross as the winning run. Rehberger finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate, one of three Sioux players to tally a multiple-hit game. Dayton's Anne Maci led the way for the Flyers with a 3-for-2 effort that included a pair of RBIs. North Dakota's Michele Wolf (1-0) took the win after holding the Flyers to a pair of runs over five innings of relief, while Erin LaFayette (0-1) took the loss for Dayton. The Flyers jumped out to an early 2-0 advantage on a two-RBI double by Anne Maci, exploiting a pair of wild pitches by North Dakota starter Alicia Pearce. A sacrifice fly by Laura Matthews extended the Flyers' lead to 3-0 in the top of the third inning, and a two-base throwing error by North Dakota catcher Amber Roth allowed Molly Meyer to score and push the advantage to 4-0 in the fourth inning. It didn't take long for the Sioux to answer, however, as Nicole Puerling blasted a towering three-run home run down the left field line. The shot brought in Nicole Larson and Lindsey Gaustad, who each had singled earlier in the inning, to cut Dayton's lead to 4-3. The Flyers continue play in the Ramada UNI-Dome Classic immediately with a game against host team UNI. The Sioux conclude play in the event Sunday with a rematch against Dayton and a matchup with UNI in the tournament finale, scheduled for 4 p.m.
NOTES The second game of Saturday's Ramada UNI-Dome Classic served as the Division I coaching debut of first-year Dayton head coach Cara Clark. Each of the four head coaches in this weekend's event are in their first season at their respective schools. The game also was the first ever played by the Flyers indoors. |
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