@BearsSoftball Drop Opening Game of Puerto Vallarta College Classic

Thursday, February 14

Puerto Vallarta, Mex.

11:30 am

University of Northern Colorado

1-5

North Dakota State

4-1

North Dakota State

Northern Colorado

Photo by: Dean Popejoy

2/14/2019 2:57:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

Northern Colorado's bats could not produce enough to beat North Dakota State

By: Matthew Kushar, UNCBears.com

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mex.- The change in climate did not help Northern Colorado softball on Thursday, as the team dropped its first game in the Puerto Vallarta College Classic, 4-0, to North Dakota State. UNC [1-5] was limited to four base runners on the day and out hit 10 to three.

"We just need to keep battling," head coach Ben Garcia said. "We need to believe we can compete with everyone and right now we are missing that part of the game. Offensively, we have allowed ourselves to settle for average."

The Bear hitters had trouble getting anything going against senior KK Leddy, NDSU's starter. Leddy pitched a complete game shut-out against UNC, striking out seven and walking one.

Valerie Vidal started for UNC and was going pitch-for-pitch with Leddy to start, as the game was scoreless through three innings. In the Top of the fourth, Bison junior Montana DeCamp hit a solo-home run to left field to grab the lead.

UNC was threatening in the bottom of the fifth after two infield singles from Emma Brockmann and Dani Young to put two on with one out.

The Bears were unable to string together anymore hits or baserunners off Leddy to score Brockmann and Young.

NDSU would add insurance in the top of the seventh inning, with three runs on four hits to force Vidal to be relieved in the game by Maggie Thurston.

Leddy retired UNC's batter in order in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win for the Bison.

Game Notes

North Dakota State stranded eight runners, while UNC stranded four.
Valerie Vidal pitched 6.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on nine hits, striking out two and walking two.
Emma Brockmann, Dani Young and Cheyenne Talmadge all went one-for-three in the game.

Next Up
Northern Colorado will play two games tomorrow starting with Southern Illinois at 11:30 am MST. UNC will have a quick turnaround as they will then play No. 11 Arkansas at 2 pm or 30 minutes after completion of the first game.