CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team put up a fight but fell 11-6 and 9-3 to University of Mary on a beautiful day Wed., April 20 at the UMC Softball Field. The Golden Eagles wrap up their home games in Crookston this season with the losses. Minnesota Crookston falls to 9-37 (3-23 NSIC) with the losses. U-Mary improves to 16-28 (10-15 NSIC).
The Golden Eagles are just one win shy of eclipsing the 10 win mark and two wins shy of tying the program record for wins, which is 11.

Minnesota Crookston put together a strong game one together from the plate as they had six runs and nine hits, including home runs from Alexis Khoshaba (Sr., OF, Richmond, British Columbia) and Gabriel Antolak (So., 3B/C, Zimmerman, Minn.). The Golden Eagles would battle back from being down 8-2 to make it 8-6, however three runs in the top of the seventh would seal their fate as the Marauders would hang on for the win.

UMC's bats in game one were led by a pair of seniors. Khoshaba would go 2-of-4 with two RBI's and one run scored, while Allison Foley (Sr., SS, Lockport, Ill.) was 2-of-4 with one RBI and two run scored. Antolak had three RBI's.

In game two, seven runs given up in the third and fourth innings would help the Marauders to a 9-3 win. The Golden Eagles had a big chance in the bottom of the fourth with bases loaded and one out. However, U-Mary reliever Brieann Backes would come in and get two outs as the Golden Eagles left three stranded.

Game two for UMC was led by Antolak, who was 2-of-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Sammy Kuhlow (So., 1B/OF, Big Lake, Minn.) would go 2-of-3 with 2 RBI's, while Khoshaba was 2-of-4, as well.

The game one scoring for U-Mary opened up as Shawnee Zink was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to allow Demaree Rodriguez to come home. Colleen Crutchfield would then come through with a grand slam to make it 5-0.

The Golden Eagles would cut the lead to 5-2 in the fourth when Antolak came through with a two-run home run to drive in herself and Foley.

The Marauders would have a big fifth inning. Zink singled to drive in Rodriguez to make it 6-0. Crutchfield then came through with a single to drive in Amber Gamboa. The scoring would end as Alex McDermott singled to left to plate Zink.

UMC responded with a big fifth inning of their own. Foley singled to center to drive in Jozie Garner (Jr., OF, Eureka, Kan.) to cut the lead to 8-3. Antolak would hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Victoria Bayliss (So., 2B/OF, West Bloomfield, Mich.). Khoshaba would then come through with a two-run home run to drive in herself and Foley to cut the lead to 8-6.

UMC would put themselves in good position but the Marauders would come up with a big seventh inning to ice the win. Taylor Mendez would start it off with a solo home run. Crutchfield would then hit her second home run of the day to drive in herself and Zink to make it 11-6.

The loss for UMC went to Mikayla Jones (Fr., RHP, Huxley, Iowa), who gave up eight earned runs on nine hits.

The win for the Marauders went to MeLanie Rodriguez, who went 5.1 innings and gave up six earned runs on nine hits.

The Golden Eagles led off the scoring in game two. Kuhlow would single to center to drive in Antolak to make it 1-0.

The Marauders would take a 3-1 lead in the third as Mendez hit a three-run home run.

U-Mary would extend their lead in the fourth starting with a Demaree Rodriguez wo-run home run. Zink would homer later in the inning to drive in herself and Mendez to make it 7-1.

The Golden Eagles would cut the lead to 7-2 in the fourth when Kuhlow would single to drive in pinch-runner Kate Howell (So., OF, Badger, Minn.).

UMC had another chance in the fourth as they would have bases loaded following a Kristi Larson (Sr., IF, New Ulm, Minn.) hit by pitch. However, Backes came on to retire the two she faced to hold the 7-2 advantage for the Marauders.

The Marauders would extend their lead to 8-2 in the fifth as McDermott singled to drive home Kylie Alto.

U-Mary made it 9-2 in the sixth as Crutchfield hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Keegan Wickman.

The Golden Eagles would get on back in the seventh when Antolak singled to drive in Garner, but it would be too little, too late as they fell 9-3.

The loss went to Bailey Braatz (Jr., RHP, Buffalo, Minn.), who gave up six earned runs on nine hits in four innings.

The win went to Backes, who came on in relief and gave up just one earned run on two hits in 3.2 innings pitched.

The games wrap up the home careers from Foley, Khoshaba, Larson, Brooke Timmins (Sr., C, Magnolia, Texas), Kaylin Beatty (Sr., OF, Andover, Minn.), Jordyn Derflinger (Sr., RHP/OF, Henderson, Nev.) and Ashley Hoyle (Sr., 2B, Blaine, Minn.). All have helped lay the ground work for future years to come as the Golden Eagles continue to build a winning product in Crookston.

UMC will wrap up the season April 23 and 24 on the road as they take on Minnesota State University Moorhead and Northern State University.