#1 Ranked Wildcats Come to Devils Lake

The Royals softball team hosted the top-ranked NDSCS Wildcats in Devils Lake for a two-game series on Wednesday.

In game one, the Wildcats jumped out early, capitalizing on Royals miscues to score two runs in the first inning. The score remained 2–0 until the fourth, when NDSCS added three more runs to extend the lead to 5–0. The Royals responded in the bottom half of the inning with singles from Leta Schulz, Payton Durand, and Mya Dueck to get on the board. However, the Wildcats' offense stayed hot, adding six unanswered runs across the fifth and sixth innings to secure an 11–1 victory. Dueck led the Royals at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with an RBI.

The second game told a different story early on. After NDSCS plated a run in the top of the first, the Royals answered in a big way. A string of singles and doubles sparked a five-run inning as the Royals batted around to take a 5–1 lead. The Wildcats chipped away, scoring two runs on a pair of hits and a double, then adding two more in the fourth to tie the game at 5–5.

NDSCS broke things open in the fifth inning, erupting for seven runs on eight hits to take control at 12–5. The Royals managed to respond with a run, as Schulz singled and later scored on a base hit from Tristin McTavish. The Wildcats added one more in the seventh to seal a 13–6 win.

Schulz led the Royals offense, going 3-for-4, while Durand and McTavish each finished 2-for-4. As a team, the Royals tallied 12 hits, their third-highest total of the season.

The Royals will return to action Thursday as they travel to Bottineau to take on the Jacks.