BEMIDJI, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team had opportunities, especially in a highly contested second game, but they would fall 7-0 and 5-2 to Bemidji State University. The Golden Eagles and Beavers played in a game that was moved from earlier in the season. They played on a beautiful day at the BSU Softball Field in Bemidji, Minn.

The Golden Eagles fall to 7-33 (1-19 NSIC) with the losses Thurs., April 14. Bemidji State improves to 25-15 (8-9 NSIC) with the pair of wins.

Minnesota Crookston was led by a strong pitching performance in the circle from Bailey Braatz (Sr., RHP, Buffalo, Minn.), who went toe-to-toe with Bemidji State's Jessica Yost in game two. Braatz would go 5.2 innings and give up just three earned runs on seven hits with five walks and one strikeout, as she put forth one of her best performances of the season.

Braatz wouldn't run into much trouble until the sixth inning when with two outs, Bemidji State would load the bases. The Beavers would get four hits and have one walk and would score three runs in the inning as they would go ahead and end up picking up the win in game two, 5-2.

Minnesota Crookston would jump on the board first in game two as Gabriel Antolak (So., C/3B, Zimmerman, Minn.) came through with a clutch double to drive in Victoria Bayliss (So., 2B/OF, West Bloomfield, Mich.) to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 advantage.

 The Golden Eagles would have an opportunity for more runs in the second. Maycee Trujillo (Fr., 3B/C, Sioux Falls, S.D.) would single to lead off the inning. Sammy Kuhlow (So., 1B/OF, Big Lake, Minn.) would get on with a fielder's choice and Maggie Morales (Fr., OF, Tucson, Ariz.) would strike out to give BSU two outs. Kristi Larson (Sr., UT, New Ulm, Minn.) would then be hit by a pitch to give UMC two on with two outs. However, Bemidji State would get the third out as it remained 1-0.

Neither team would score until Bemidji State would put in two runs in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Jessica Burlingame would come through with a two RBI single to drive in Angie Roberts and Makayla Pagel to put the Beavers up 2-1.

The Golden Eagles would even it up at 2-2 as Antolak came through again with a single to drive in Jozie Garner (Jr., OF, Eureka, Minn.).

UMC would chase Jessica Yost from the game. Yost would go five innings and give up two earned runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts.

Roberts would single to lead off the sixth for the Beavers, but Braatz would get two outs as UMC looked to get out of the inning. Pinch-hitter Rochelle Koshalek would come through with a single to drive in Roberts and put Bemidji State up 3-2.

After a walk of Yost to load up the bases, Lyndsey Peterson would score on a Megan Castor single.

Heather Cunningham (So., RHP, Jacksonville, Fla.) would then come on in relief of Braatz. She would have a wild pitch to allow Burlingame to score.
The Golden Eagles would be unable to overcome the deficit in the top of the seventh as the Beavers would hang on for the win.

Minnesota Crookston was led by Bayliss, who was 2-of-3 with one run scored. Antolak went 2-of-3 with two RBI's on the game.

In game one, the Golden Eagles would struggle to get hits as the only hit on the game came from Alexis Khoshaba (Sr., OF, Richmond, British Columbia).
The win for Bemidji State went to Jenna Masingill, who went seven innings and gave up just one hit in a shutout with 15 strikeouts.

The Bemidji State loss went to Mikayla Jones (Fr., RHP, Huxley, Iowa), who went 3.2 innings and gave up six earned runs.

The Golden Eagles will return to action as they play four home games. The games were moved from Saturday and Sunday to Sun., April 17 at 1 and 3 p.m. and Mon., April 18 at 1 and 3 p.m. The games were moved due to forecasted rain on Saturday in Crookston. The Golden Eagles will face the University of  Sioux Falls on Sunday and Southwest Minnesota State University on Monday. UMC will recognize their senior class on Sunday at 12:15 p.m., prior to the start of the first game.