OMAHA, Neb. - North Dakota State swept the UNO softball team in a Saturday doubleheader by the slimmest of margins, 4-3 and 3-2, at Westside Field at Westbrook.

The Mavericks - playing the series as the visiting team because the series was originally scheduled for Fargo, are now 19-13 and 2-3 in the Summit League. The Bison are 21-12 overall and 4-0 in the league.

The series concludes with a single game tomorrow at Noon.

North Dakota State 4, Omaha 3
The Bison went up 1-0 in the bottom of the second when the game's first hit was a solo home run by Amanda Grable to dead center field.

The Mavs' first hit of the game was a long ball, too, as Allie Mathewson tied the game with a leadoff homer off the scoreboard in the top of the fourth, her eighth of the season. Later in the inning, Sydney Hames laced a double down the left field line, and Amber Lutmer scored from first after sliding to avoid the tag at home plate to put the Mavs in the lead, 2-1.

But the Bison answered in the bottom of the fourth with three straight RBI singles to center field off of Dana Elsasser to go back up 4-2.

Lutmer got a comeback attempt started in the top of the sixth by boarding second after an error on the third baseman, compounded by an error by the left fielder. Hames drew a walk, and Lizzie Noble moved them up one base with a groundout to third. Mara Eeman's sacrifice fly to left field scored Lutmer from third to pull UNO within 4-3 after the top of the sixth. But the Mavs were unable to even things up in their last at bat in the seventh despite a two-out walk to Mathewson.

Elsasser fell to 16-6 after allowing four earned runs on nine hits with one walk and eight strikeouts. Krista Menke took the win to go to 15-4. She allowed two hits and two earned runs and struck out 12 with four walks.

North Dakota State 3, Omaha 2
NDSU struck first in the bottom of the first to go up 1-0 when Alex Sobrero scored from third on an infield error. But the Mavs answered in the top of the third. Lia Mancuso walked and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tara Trede. After Allie Mathewson's infield single, Mancuso came home on a passed ball to tie the game at 1-1.

The Mavs went in front in the top of the sixth. Sydney Hames roped a double to the right center wall, and after Nicole Warren came on to pinch run, Lizzie Noble powered a double to the gap in left center to score Warren for the 2-1 lead.

Kat Barrow pitched a gem going into the sixth, allowing no earned runs and three hits through the first five innings. But Sobrero led off the sixth with a single to left field, then Barrow's throw to first on a sac bunt attempt went wide of the bag, putting runners on second and third with no outs. Cheyenne Garcia singled up the middle to bring home two runs for the 3-2 Bison lead.

UNO threatened a two-out rally in the top of the seventh when Lutmer walked and Hames singled to center field, but Noble's grounder to third forced out Amber Lutmer to end the game.

Barrow (1-5) took the loss but allowed just one earned run on five hits, no walks and four strikeouts. Krista Menke (16-4) entered the game in the sixth inning with the Bison trailing 2-1 and picked up her second win of the day. Mathewson and Hames each had two hits for the Mavs.