MANKATO, Minn. -  The University of Minnesota Crookston got a great outing from Bailey Braatz (So., RHP, Buffalo, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) but fell 3-1 and 7-4 despite strong efforts Friday against Minnesota State University, Mankato. The games were played Friday afternoon the Mankato, Minn. The Golden Eagles fall to 4-24 (0-10 NSIC) with the losses. Minnesota State improved to 22-14 (7-3 NSIC).

Braatz put together one of her best outings of the season against a very strong Minnesota State squad. The sophomore pitched seven innings and gave up just three earned runs on six hits with two strikeouts.

Braatz was matched up against the NSIC Preseason Pitcher of the Year Coley Ries. The Maverick pitcher went a complete game, giving up one earned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts.

The Mavericks got on the board first in game one as Mandi Mauch singled up the middle in the bottom of the fourth to drive in Molly Sager.

Minnesota State extended their lead with two runs in the sixth. Karli DesLauriers would score on a Samantha Buhmann ground out. Tatum Klein would then single to drive in Kelly Grove.

The Golden Eagles would get two on to lead off the top of the seventh inning. They would get one as Victoria Bayliss (Fr., OF, West Bloomfield, Mich./Elementary Education) singled to drive in Kristi Larson (Jr., IF, New Ulm, Minn./Sports and Rec Management). However, with two still on base, Ries would strike out Shelby Hollinger (Sr., 2B, Neudorf, Saskatchewan/Health Science) to preserve the 3-1 win.

The Golden Eagles were led by Alexis Khoshaba (Jr., OF, Richmond, British Columbia/Sports and Rec Management), who was 2-of-3.

In game two, Jordyn Derflinger (Jr., RHP/OF, Henderson, Nev./Elementary Education) would get the start and pitch 3.2 innings, giving up four earned runs on eight hits.

Brooke Vatthauer (Sr., LHP, Crookston, Minn./Health Science) would come in and pitch well, giving up two runs, one of them earned, on four hits. Sammy Knudson (So., RHP/IF, Fergus Falls, Minn./Health Science) also pitched well, giving up no runs on no hits in 0.2 innings.

The Mavericks would start the scoring in the first when Klein scored on a Derflinger wild pitch.

They would add a run in the second as Ashley Thell scored on a wild pitch.

Two runs would cross in the third for Minnesota State. Sager would hit a sacrifice fly to right to plate Dana Mogren. Kara Lattery would then become the third baserunner to score on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-0.

Mogren would double to drive in Emily Bransky in the fourth to make it 5-0.

The Mavericks would add another run in the fifth as Thell scored on an error to make it 6-0.

The Golden Eagles would cut the deficit to 6-1 in the sixth when Allison Foley (Jr., SS, Lockport, Ill./Accounting) scored on a Larson fielder's choice.

Minnesota State would add one in the sixth when Lattery doubled to drive in Jess Meidl.

The Golden Eagles would make a rally in the top of the seventh. Hollinger started things out with a sacrifice fly to right to drive in Kaylin Beatty (Jr., OF, Andover, Minn./Animal Science). Foley would then hit a single to drive in Bayliss to make it 7-3. One more run would cross as Khoshaba doubled to drive in Foley. However, UMC would fall short of the comeback run, 7-4.

UMC was led by Foley, who was 3-of-4 with one RBI and two runs scored, while Khoshaba was 3-of-3 with one RBI.

Libby Bemis got the game two win in the circle, going five innings and shutting out the Golden Eagles, with four hits and three strikeouts.

The Golden Eagles to take on Concordia University, St. Paul at 12 and 2 p.m. in St. Paul, Minn., Sat., April 4.

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

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The University of Minnesota Crookston is a NCAA Division II university located in the Red River Valley of Northwest Minnesota. UMC sponsors 11 intercollegiate athletic teams with membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate conference (NSIC) and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). The NSIC is a 16-team conference with schools situated in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.