Bears Score A Couple Of Upsets On Day One Of NCC North-South Tournament
The UNC women's softball squad scored a couple of pretty big upsets on day one of the North Central Conference North-South Tournament in Greeley, Colo., on Saturday. The tournament is taking place at Island Grove Park and will continue on Sunday with games beginning at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Mountain time).
The Bears started the day with a setback as they fell to Minnesota State, Mankato, 6-2. But the Bears bounced back strong with a 9-4 upset win over No. 3-ranked North Dakota State and finished the day in style with a 6-4 win over St. Cloud State.
"The win over St. Cloud State is especially exciting and gratifying after they gave us a first-round loss at the NCC tournament last year, 17-5," head coach Linda Witt said after the games on Saturday. "It was also a great win over North Dakota State since they are ranked No. 3 in the country and one of the nation's perennial powers. It was a nice way to end the day after a tough loss to open it up to Minnesota State."
UNC is now 11-13 on the season and 3-2 in North Central Conference play.
To stay up-to-date and get the latest scores and stats on Sunday, log on to:2003 NCC North-South Tournament I (Greeley, Colo. - Island Grove Park)
Minnesota State 6
Northern Colorado 2
The Minnesota State, Mankato, Mavericks started the day with a 6-2 victory over the Bears. Minnesota State tallied a single run in first inning before the Bears responded with a two-run home run by Kim Kelly in the second inning to give the Bears a 2-1 edge.
That lead was short-lived as the Mavs scored a run in the third to tie the game and another single run in the fifth to give them the lead. MSU would push across three insurance runs in the sixth to put the game out of reach.
MSU's Katie Karbon earned the victory in relief as she pitched the final three scoreless innings. UNC starter Cristin Dumler took the loss and dropped to 3-7 on the year.
Rachel Van Hook, Jana Pintz and Kim Kelly all tallied two hits in the contest.
Northern Colorado 9
North Dakota State 4
For the second straight year, UNC knocked off the North Dakota State Bison at the North-South Tournament. This time around, NDSU was ranked No. 3 in the country but it did not seem to matter to the Bears as they battered Bison pitching.
NDSU scored a single run in the first to get the scoring underway. UNC came back behind a pair of unearned runs to take a 2-1 lead in the third inning.
The Bison marched right back with a two-spot in the top of the fourth to take a 3-2 advantage. But that was when the Bears' offense really got going. Stacey Moon launched a two-run homer to give the lead right back to the Bears. Then Lindsey Jorgensen drew a walk, stole second base and scored on an RBI single by Lindsay Haun. Jana Pintz picked up the pieces left on base with a two-run homer to cap a five-run fourth for the Bears.
UNC would add a pair of single runs in the fifth and sixth innings to stake starter Stephani Miller with a 9-3 lead going into the seventh inning. The Bison could only mount a single-run comeback and the Bears' scored the 9-4 victory.
Miller picked up the victory and improved to 3-5 on the season. NDSU starter Courtney Lacock suffered her first loss of the season and dropped to 11-1.
Haun led the Bears with three hits in the contest and three runs scored. Pintz and Moon led the squad with three runs batted in and each also tallied two hits.
Northern Colorado 6
St. Cloud State 4
The Bears closed out the day's action with a thrilling 6-4 victory over St. Cloud State. The game was scoreless until the fourth inning when both teams decided to get the action going.
UNC loaded the bases with two outs for freshman Lisa Schol. Schol then delivered her first-ever collegiate home run, a grand slam, to center field to give the Bears a 4-0 cushion.
SCSU came back with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth. UNC would have been out of the jam but a high throw from SS Kim Kelly on a groundout, which would have been the third out, allowed the inning to continue and the Huskies to cut the lead in half.
UNC answered right back in the top of the fifth when Jana Pintz came through again in the clutch with a two-run home run to left field to give UNC a 6-2 lead.
SCSU tallied a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth but UNC starter Stacey Moon stymied the Huskies in both the sixth and seventh innings and UNC claimed the 6-4 victory.
Rachel Van Hook, Jana Pintz, Kim Kelly and Stephani Miller all tallied two hits in the contest. Schol led the squad with four RBI, all on the grand slam.
Moon picked up the victory and moved to 5-1 on the year. SCSU starter Nicole Webb took the loss and fell to 11-6 on the season.
