CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston put forth strong efforts Saturday but ultimately fell in two close ones to Concordia University-St. Paul. The Golden Eagles fell 3-0 in game one to the Golden Bears after a three-run fourth inning led by a two-run Liz Jarosz home run. In game two, Concordia-St. Paul came back to win 6-5 led by a three-run fourth inning. Jarosz again powered the effort with two more home runs to lift the Golden Bears to the victory.
Minnesota Crookston falls to 11-28-1 (1-16-1 NSIC). The Golden Eagles are just one win from tying their school record mark of 12 wins set during the 2004 season. Concordia-St. Paul improved to 13-26 (5-13 NSIC) with the Saturday sweep of the Golden Eagles.
Game One
Bailey Braatz (Sr., RHP, Buffalo, Minn.) got the start in game one for the Golden Eagles. She would cruise through the first three innings, with no runs and just two hits and three base-runners allowed. Her only trouble of the game came in the third inning led by Jarosz's first home run of the day. She would fall to 8-11 with the loss after giving up two earned runs on three hits with one strikeout in six innings.
Linzy Heim earned the win for the Golden Bears in the shutout. She would give up just six hits and four walks with six strikeouts in seven frames.
Jarosz started the scoring in the fourth with her two-run blast to drive in herself and Jusine Schattner. Emily Shinn then reached on an error by the short stop, allowing Haley Schanks to score to push the lead to 3-0. Braatz would not allow any more runs to cross but the 3-0 lead would be enough for Concordia-St. Paul.
Minnesota Crookston was led in the first game at the plate by
Khailyn Neumayer (Jr., OF, Morgan Hill, Calif.),
Jenna Boardman (Jr., 2B/SS, Genoa, Wis.) and
Sam Rarick (So., IF, East Grand Forks, Minn.), who all went 1-of-2 for the day.
Game Two
Paige Pitlick (Fr., RHP, Jordan, Minn.) started game two for Minnesota Crookston. She would throw one of her best outings of her young career, allowing just two earned runs on eight hits with one strikeout. She would help put the Golden Eagles in a position to win.
Minnesota Crookston opened up the scoring in the first when
Samantha Proctor (Fr., C, Champlin, Minn.) followed up back-to-back walks with a single.
Jozie Garner (Sr., OF, Eureka, Kan.) would come in to score on an error by the center fielder. With the bases now loaded,
Maycee Trujillo (So., 3B/C, Sioux Falls, S.D.) came through with a sacrifice fly to left field to plate
Victoria Bayliss (Jr., OF, West Bloomfield, Mich.) as the U of M Crookston led 2-0.
Concordia-St. Paul cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the second when Carly Hart reached on an error in left field, allowing Sarah Kivisto to come in for the run.
The Golden Bears took over the lead in the bottom of the third. Jarosz started out the scoring with her second home run of the day, a solo shot, to knot it up 20-2. Later in the inning, Elena Koncar hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in Schanks to put Concordia-St. Paul in the driver's seat 3-2.
Minnesota Crookston responded with a big top of the fourth inning. Garner singled to start the scoring, driving in
Morgan Duda (So., OF, Clinton Township, Mich.). Bayliss would then reach on a fielder's choice, but a Concordia-St. Paul error would allow
Rocky Bjorge (Fr., 1B, Prior Lake, Minn.) and
Kate Howell (Jr., OF, Badger, Minn.) to score as Minnesota Crookston now had the lead on the Golden Bears 5-3.
The Golden Bears came right back in the bottom of the fourth led by Jarosz's third home run of the day, her second of the game and her second two-run shot of the day. They added to their lead when Kivisto singled to plate Schanks as they would go into the fifth leading 6-5.
Minnesota Crookston would have two base-runners in the final three innings at the plate, but would be unable to overcome the Golden Bears as they won 6-5.
Heim picked up the win in relief, giving up no runs on two hits with one strikeout in four innings in the circle. Samantha Sullivan got the start and gave up four earned runs on three hits with five walks and two strikeouts in three innings.
Minnesota Crookston was led at the plate by Garner, who was 1-of-3 with one run scored and one RBI. Bjorge would go 1-of-2 with one run scored, while Duda was 1-of-3 with one run scored.
Heather Cunningham (Jr., RHP, Jacksonville, Fla.) suffered the loss in relief after giving up two earned runs on five hits in three innings for Minnesota Crookston.
The Golden Eagles will return to action Wed., April 19 at 1 and 3 p.m. at the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D.
