TUCSON, Ariz.- The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team finished their week at the Tuscon Invitational with a split Fri., March 20 with a 10-8 loss to Valley City State University and an 8-0 win over St. Joseph's College-Brooklyn. The Golden Eagles finish their trip to Tuscon, Ariz. with a 4-6 record and now moves to 4-14 overall on the season, surpassing their 2015 win total in the team's first season under Head Coach Don Stopa.

Jordyn Derflinger (Jr., RHP, Henderson, Nev./Elementary Education) got the start in the first game of the day for the Golden Eagles. Derflinger gave up five runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings. She pitched well early but would give up three runs in the fifth inning before getting pulled.

The Golden Eagles started out the game against Valley City State with three runs in the first inning. A Josee Plante (Sr., 3B, Manitou, Manitoba/Health Science) single would drive in Allison Foley (Jr., SS, Lockport, Ill./Accounting) and Victoria Bayliss (Fr., OF, West Bloomfield, Mich./Elementary Education) to make it 2-0.
Gabriel Antolak (Fr., C/3B, Zimmerman, Minn./Equine Science) would then single to drive in Kristi Larson (Jr., IF, New Ulm, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) to make it 3-0.

Valley City State would make it 3-1 in the top of the second as Emerald Damge singled to drive in Katarina Boychuk.

The Golden Eagles would add a run in the bottom of the third to make it 4-1 when Antolak singled to drive in Larson.

The Vikings cut the lead to 4-2 in the top of the fourth as Katie Cameron singled to drive in Cassie Pautz.

UMC would strike back in the bottom of the fourth to make it 6-2 when Foley singled to drive in Shelby Hollinger (Sr., 2B, Neudorf, Saskatchewan/Health Science). Larson then doubled to drive in Foley and chase Valley City State starting pitcher Ashley Metcalf.

The Vikings would come back with a big fifth inning with five runs, chasing Derflinger from the game. The onslaught was led by a Boychuk two-run home run and a Cameron triple to drive in three runs.

The Golden Eagles would respond with two runs in the sixth inning to take the 8-7 lead. Brooke Timmins (Jr., C, Magnolia, Texas/Sports and Rec Management) singled to drive in Larson. Bayliss would then single to drive and Timmins would score on an error.

The Golden Eagles would go into the seventh with the 8-7 advantage but Valley City State would come up with three runs in the seventh off Brooke Vatthauer (Sr., RHP, Crookston, Minn./Health Science) to pick up the 10-8 win.

The win for Valley City State went to Morgan Nailey.

UMC was led by Larson, who was 3-of-4 with three runs scored and one RBI. Timmins was 3-of-4 with one RBI and one run scored in the game.

The Golden Eagles would control game two from the on-set as they would score eight runs on 16 hits in the game.

UMC started the game with two runs in the bottom of the first led by sacrifice flies from Foley and Antolak.

In the second, a Bailey Braatz (So., RHP, Buffalo, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) single would drive in Plante to make it 3-0.

UMC would come up big with three runs in the fourth. Foley would single to drive in Derflinger to start the scoring. Alexis Khoshaba (Jr., OF, Richmond, British Columbia) then doubled to drive in Foley. A single from Antolak would score Khoshaba to finish the inning with a 6-0 advantage.

The Golden Eagles would add two runs in the fifth to make it 8-0. Braatz would single to drive in Ashley Hoyle (Jr., 2B, Blaine, Minn./Animal Science). Bayliss then doubled to drive in Braatz.

Braatz would earn the win for UMC, going five innings and pitching a shutout, allowing just five hits.

The Golden Eagles were led by Bayliss, who was 4-of-4 with one run scored and one RBI from the leadoff spot. Braatz also had a good day, going 2-of-3 with two RBI's and one run scored.

UMC is set to open up conference play Tues., March 24 at 1 and 3 p.m. against Bemidji State University.

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).