TUCSON, Ariz.- The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team posted a 1-2 mark on the day Thur., March 19 at the Tuscon Invitational at Lincoln Park in Tucson, Ariz. The Golden Eagles are currently 3-5 in their eight games in Tuscon. UMC currently owns a record of 3-13 on the season, matching their 2014 win total.

UMC opened Thursday with a hard-fought 2-1 loss at the hands of Valley City State University. Jordyn
Derflinger (Jr., OF/P, Henderson, Nev./Elementary Education) got the start in the circle in game one and pitched 5.2 solid innings, giving up just two earned runs on eight hits in the loss.

Brooke Vatthauer (Sr., RHP, Crookston, Minn./Health Science) had a producting 0.1 inning appearance, giving up just one hit and no runs.

UMC would go ahead 1-0 in the top of the third of the game when Victoria Bayliss (Fr., OF, West Bloomfield, Mich./Elementary Education) doubled to score Brooke Timmins (Jr., C, Magnolia, Texas/
Sports and Rec Management)

Valley City State would answer in the fifth when Savannah McMillin singled to drive in Katie Cameron.

The Vikings would get the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth when Emerald Damge singled to drive in Katarina Boychuk.

Morgan Nailey got the win for Valley City State after pitching two innings of relief and giving up no runs on two hits.

UMC was led in game one by Bayliss, who was 1-of-4 with one RBI and Kristi Larson (Jr., IF, New Ulm, Minn./Sports and Rec Management), who was 1-of-3.

In game two of the day, UMC would fall 9-3 to Dickinson State University. The Blue Hawks were led by a six-run fourth inning to overcome the Golden Eagles. Dickinson State looked to Monique Yslas, wh owas 2-of-3 with two runs scored and three RBI's and Brooke Schmitt, who was 1-of-3 with three RBI's.

The Golden Eagles had six hits in the game and were led by Derflinger, who was 2-of-3 with one RBI.

Bailey Braatz (So., RHP, Buffalo, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) got the start and went 3.2 innings, giving up six earned runs on five hits. Vatthauer came on and pitched well, giving up two earned runs on three hits in 2.1 innings. Sammy Knudson (So., RHP, Fergus Falls, Minn./Health Science) also pitched well, pitching one inning of shutout softball.

In game three of the day, the Golden Eagles would come up big with a 12-3 run-rule victory over Mayville State University, their second win over the Comets in Tucson.

Knudson would get the win after a strong performance, giving up just three earned runs on six hits in the victory.

After one run from Mayville State in the first, UMC would respond with a five-spot in the bottom of the first led by a Timmins two-run home run to drive in herself and Josee Plante (Sr., 3B, Manitou, Manitoba/Health Science). In addition, Plante doubled to drive in Allison Foley (Jr., SS, Lockport, Ill./Accounting).

The Golden Eagles would add two runs in the bottom of the second led by an Alexis Khoshaba (Jr., OF,
Richmond, British Columbia/Sports and Rec Management) to drive in Foley and Shelby Hollinger (Sr., 2B, Neudorf, Saskatchewan/Health Science).

A Kaylin Beatty (Jr., UT, Andover, Minn./Animal Science) double would drive in Timmins in the third to make it 8-1.

After two runs in the fourth for Mayville State, UMC would answer with two runs of their own to make it 10-3. Hollinger would hit her first home run of the game, driving in herself and Bayliss.

The Golden Eagles would add two more in the sixth on Hollinger's second home run of the day, driving in Bayliss, again, and giving UMC the run-rule victory.

Hollinger led the Golden Eagles with an outstanding game, going 4-of-4 with four RBI's and three runs scored, including the two home runs. Bayliss was 3-of-4 with three runs scored, while Timmins was 2-of-3 with two runs scored and two RBI's.

Minnesota Crookston will look to even their record in Tucson with two final games in Tucson Friday against Valley City State University and Saint Joseph's College-Brooklyn.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

Follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook at Golden Eagle Sports and on Twitter at @UMCAthletics.
 
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).