Courtesy of NDSU Athletics
EUGENE, Ore.—Krista Menke struck out 10 and recorded her 12th shutout of the season as 24/25th-ranked North Dakota State University defeated Fresno State University 4-0 in a game that featured only five base hits played Thursday, May 14, at University of Oregon’s Howe Field. The Bison will play either overall No. 2 seed Oregon or BYU at 1 p.m. Central Friday, May 15.
Menke, a 5-foot-11 senior from Friend, Neb., struck out the side in the first inning and built momentum from there. She allowed just a pair of singles — both to the Bulldogs’ Michelle Solomon. Menke has the last three pitching wins for the Bison in the NCAA tournanment.
Opportunity for North Dakota State (44-9) knocked in the second inning when Katie Shoultz drew a bases-loaded walk to score Alyssa Reina to put the Bison ahead 1-0.
Opportunity knocked again in the bottom of the third inning when the NDSU scored three times to extend the lead to 4-0.Amanda Grable stroked a RBI single up the middle to score Cheyenne Garcia. Reina scooted to third and Grable went to second on the throw.
Jackie Stifter then delivered a two-run single up past the diving second baseman. Stifter also had a key sacrifice bunt to set the table in the second frame.
Reina scored twice, reached on a pair of walks and had the other NDSU hit, a single in the sixth.
Jill Compton (28-11) recorded the loss for Fresno State (40-15). Compton walked five and struck out five.
