MARSHALL, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team concluded the 2017 season with a pair of losses at Southwest Minnesota State University Sat., April 29.
The Mustangs limited the Golden Eagles to two hits and scored 11 runs on 14 hits as they took game one 11-0 in five innings over the U of M Crookston. In game two, Southwest Minnesota State plated three runs in the third and sixth innings to lift them to a 7-4 win over the Golden Eagles.
Minnesota Crookston finishes the season with a 12-35-1 (2-23-1 NSIC) mark. The Golden Eagles end the year tied with the 2004 team for the most wins in program history at 12. The Golden Eagles continue to make strides as they have won 23 games in the last two seasons. Southwest Minnesota State moved to 23-21 (14-14 NSIC) with the pair of victories. The Mustangs made the conference tournament, finishing ninth in the standings.
Game One
Southwest Minnesota State opened the game up with three runs in the first frame. The first run crossed as Victoria Brooks scored on an Alex Reak ground out. Sam Flack then doubled to left center to bring home Emma Grote, followed by a Mackenzie Clouse single to drive in Flack to make it 3-0.
The Mustangs added a pair of runs in the second. Karmann Carroll singled to left center to bring home Brooks. Flack then doubled down the left field line to bring in Reak, making it 5-0.
Southwest Minnesota State put a stamp on the win with six runs in the third inning. A Decker opened the scoring in the third on a wild pitch. Grote then singled in Taylor Koloc to move it to 7-0. A Carroll single to drive in Brooks moved it to 8-0. Reak then singled to center field to bring in Grote. Carroll would later come in on an error to make it 10-0. The scoring would be rounded out when Flack singled to bring home Sara DeSmet.
Sammy Knudson (Sr., RHP, Fergus Falls, Minn.) suffered the loss after giving up four earned runs on 10 hits in 2.1 innings.
Heather Cunningham (Jr., RHP, Jacksonville, Fla.) pitched in relief and gave up three earned runs on four hits in 1.2 innings with two strikeouts.
Alex O'Connor earned the win for the Mustangs as she shutout the Golden Eagles in five innings, with just two hits allowed. O'Connor finished with five strikeouts.
Minnesota Crookston picked up hits from
Jozie Garner (Sr., OF, Eureka, Kan.) and
Khailyn Neumayer (Jr., OF, Morgan Hill, Calif.) on the game.
Game Two
Braatz, the winningest pitcher in school history, got the ball in game two for her final start of her career. She would go six innings, giving up four earned runs on nine hits with three strikeouts.
Minnesota Crookston got on the board out of the gate with two runs. Neumayer tripled to right center to bring home
Victoria Bayliss (Jr., OF, West Bloomfield, Mich.).
Samantha LeMay (Sr., DP/1B, Belle Plaine, Minn.) would then come through with a single to drive in
Gabriel Antolak (Jr., C/3B, Zimmerman, Minn.) to make it 2-0.
The Mustangs responded with three runs in the top of the third. Carroll reached on an error, allowing Brooks to score to cut the lead to 2-1. A Madison Krog two-run home run to drive in herself and Carroll would then put Southwest Minnesota State up 3-2.
The Mustangs pushed their advantage to 4-2 in the fourth when Kaylee Hentges singled to bring home DeSmet.
Southwest Minnesota State added three more runs in the sixth starting with a Brooks single to bring in Abbie Decker. A Grote triple would bring home Brooks and Koloc to make it 7-2.
With two outs in the top of the seventh, Minnesota Crookston would make one final charge. Bayliss opened up the rally with a single down the left field line. She would move to third as Neumayer reached on an error.
Antolak then came through with a double to left field to bring in Neumayer and Bayliss. However, Athena Golling would come through with the strike out of
Rocky Bjorge (Fr., 1B, Prior Lake, Minn.) as the Mustangs held on for the 7-4 win.
Golling got the win after giving up two unearned runs on four hits with five strikeouts in five innings.
Minnesota Crookston looked to Bayliss, who was 3-of-4 with two runs scored. Neumayer finished 2-of-4 with one RBI and one runs scored, while Antolak was 1-of-4 with two RBI's and one runs scored.
The doubleheader signified the end of the careers of Braatz, Garner, LeMay and Knudson. All four of the seniors have been integral parts of the Minnesota Crookston softball program as they have continued to make steps toward moving the program up in the conference standings. The Golden Eagles will look to continue to build on their returning core as they look toward the 2018 season.
