(Crookston, Minn.)- The University of Minnesota, Crookston Softball team hits the road this week for six NSIC games. The Golden Eagles travel to Bemidji State on Wednesday, March 28 to play the Beavers in a 1 p.m. double-header. Minnesota, Crookston goes on the road this weekend as well as the team travels to Southwest Minnesota State on Saturday, March 31 and #13 Minnesota State, Mankato on Sunday, April 1. Both double-headers are scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
 
Minnesota, Crookston- (7-14, 1-3 NSIC) The Golden Eagle Softball team closed out the first NSIC weekend of the season with a 1-3 record. Minnesota, Crookston fell in both games to #5 Winona State. The team rebounded to split Sunday's games with Upper Iowa University. The Golden Eagles were led by freshman Courtney Bridge (SS, Fr, Port Coquitlam, British Columbia) who batted .385 (5-13) in the four conference games. Bridge hit two doubles, scored two runs and earned one RBI while slugging an outstanding .538. Sammy Berglin (OF, So, Alexandria, Minn.) slugged her fifth and sixth homeruns of the season this weekend.

Bemidji State- (6-13, 0-4 NSIC) Crystal Bowen (Jr., IF, Duluth, Minn.) - Bowen went 5-for-11 in four NSIC games this weekend. She scored a run in game two of Saturday's series against Southwest Minnesota State. She had three singles and a double on the weekend as the Beavers struggled going 0-for-4 on the weekend against the Mustangs and No. 13 Minnesota State University, Mankato.
 
Southwest Minnesota State- (12-8, 3-1 NSIC) #4 Ashley Gigax (IF, 5-7, So., Omaha, Neb.) led Southwest Minnesota State at the plate in its opening weekend of conference play. Gigax was 7 for 14 at the plate with a .500 batting average and a .643 slugging percentage. She finished the weekend with a triple, four RBIs and two stolen bases. #12 Christine Borowiak (CF, 5-8, Sr., Omaha, Neb.) batted .400 with a .533 slugging percentage in our games over the weekend. She had six hits, including two doubles and one RBI on the weekend.  #13 Chelsey Evans (P, 5-11, Sr., Pipestone, Minn.) went 2-0 in the circle for Southwest Minnesota State in its opening weekend of conference play. She finished the weekend with 12 strikeouts in 14 innings of work. Her best performance came against Minnesota Duluth tossing six shutout innings before allowing three runs in the seventh and closing the door for her sixth victory of the season.
 
#13 Minnesota State, Mankato- (23-6, 3-1 NSIC) Sophomore Lindsay Erickson hit .450 (9-of-20) in the Mavericks six games last week. Erickson also tallied two home runs and a double while compiling a .800 slugging percentage. Erickson knocked in six runs and crossed the dish five times. Erickson is leading the team in batting as she is hitting .370 on the season with 14 extra base hits. Junior pitcher Courtney McKelvogue pitched to a 0.93 earned run average in the four games pitched over the week. The three wins she earned were all complete game shutout victories. McKelvogue threw a five-inning no-hitter on Sunday over Bemidji State. She gave up just two runs and struck out 18 batters over the week. McKelvogue did not give up an extra base hit in the 19.1 innings pitched. Thirteenth-ranked Minnesota State went 5-1 last week and hit to a .335 batting average. MSU swept Concordia and Bemidji State while it split with Minnesota Duluth. The Mavericks hammered nine doubles, two triples and eight home runs. Lindsay Erickson, junior Abby Sonner, sophomore Kelly Wood and senior Chelsea Erickson all hit over .400 during the six games. MSU stole 11 bases last week as Sonner had four of them. Chelsea Erickson had an .522 on base percentage as freshman Chelsea Riordan, Lindsay Erickson and Wood all had a .500 on base percentage. The Mavericks pitching staff collected a 2.18 earned run average and gave up just three extra base hits in the 41 and a third innings pitched. MSU scored 11 runs in the first inning against Bemidji State on Sunday.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at: www.goldeneaglesports.com.   
 
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The University of Minnesota, Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).
 
 
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