STATESBORO - North Dakota State broke open a one-run game with a pair of two-run home runs in the fifth inning to take a 5-0 victory over host Georgia Southern in the final game of the GATA Challenge on Sunday at Eagle Field.
NDSU (7-2) finished the weekend with a perfect 4-0 mark while the Eagles (4-6) went 1-4 in the tournament. Georgia Southern is next in action on Wednesday, hosting South Carolina in a 6 p.m. contest at Eagle Field, the first trip to Statesboro for the Gamecocks since 2013.
The Bison plated a run in the top of the first on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Carley Goetschius. Georgia Southern starter Kastin Belogorska (1-3) then got a popout to end the inning.
Belogorska held the Bison off the scoreboard until the fifth inning, when Cameryn Maykut and Goetschius each hit two-run home runs to put the game away.
Belogosrka went 4 2/3 innings, giving up eight hits and five runs, walking one and striking out three to take the loss. Mac Schulz (2-0) picked up the win for NDSU, hurling 5 2/3 innings of three-hit shutout ball, walking two while striking out three.
Faith Shirley went 2-for-3 to lead the Eagles offensively, her third multi-hit game of the weekend.