LEESBURG, Fla. – The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team lost three games on the second day of The Spring Games – PFX Athletics Mon., March 12 at Sleepy Hollow Recreation Complex in Leesburg, Fla.

The Golden Eagles gave up four runs in the final two innings as they fell 7-6 to Concordia University Ann Arbor in a rain-shortened tilt. In game two of the day, Minnesota Crookston battled for 11 innings with Indiana University-South Bend, but the Titans would score five runs in the 11^th inning on the international tiebreaker. The Golden Eagles concluded the day by falling 8-0 to Southern Connecticut State.

The Golden Eagles have a 4-11 record on the 2018 season, but they have been within one run in two games in Florida, and took Indiana-South Bend to extra innings in another tilt. Minnesota Crookston is currently 1-4 in The Spring Games with seven games remaining on their Florida excursion. Concordia-Ann Arbor has a 4-10 mark on the 2018 season. Indiana-South Bend currently boasts a 2-4 record. Southern Connecticut State has a 1-3 mark on the 2018 season.

Game 1 vs. Concordia-Ann Arbor
Kassidy Klaphake (Sr., RHP, Cold Spring, Minn.) earned the loss in the first game as she allowed one run on one hit in 0.1 innings. Heather Cunningham (Sr., RHP, Jacksonville, Fla.) got the start and allowed two earned runs on four hits in 1.2 innings of work. Paige Pitlick (So., RHP, Jordan, Minn.) had a strong outing as she gave up just one earned run on five hits with three innings with one strikeout and one walk.

Samantha Eubanks picked up the win after giving up just three earned runs on nine hits with six strikeouts in six innings of work.

At the plate, Minnesota Crookston was guided by Mikaela Rodriguez (So., 2B/SS, Laveen, Ariz.), who was 3-of-4 with two RBIs and one run scored. Gabriel Antolak (Sr., C/3B, Zimmerman, Minn.) went 2-of-3 with one run scored. Maycee Trujillo (Jr., 3B/C, Sioux Falls, S.D.) finished 1-of-2 with two RBIs and one run scored.

Concordia-Ann Arbor looked to Megan Laib, who went 2-of-4 with two RBIs and one run scored. Kylee Pierce was 2-of-3 with two runs scored. Jenna Lowney finished 2-of-3 with one RBI and one run scored, while Elizabeth Barkel went 2-of-3 with one RBIs and one runs scored.

Minnesota Crookston jumped out of the gate and got two runs in the top of the first. Trujillo opened up the scoring with a double to plate Rodriguez. Taylor Allen (Fr., C/OF, Neepawa, Manitoba) then doubled to bring in Trujillo and moved the lead to 2-0.

The Cardinals cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the first when Carly Pearson reached on an error by Cunningham and pitcher, allowing Pierce to come in to score.

Minnesota Crookston responded with two runs in the top of the second. With the bases loaded, Rodriguez delivered a single to plate Haley Strachan (Jr., OF, Phoenix, Ariz.). Maggie Morales (Jr., 1B/OF, Tucson, Ariz.) then came in to score on a passed ball to put the Golden Eagles ahead 4-1.

Concordia-Ann Arbor sliced into the deficit in the bottom of the second. Lowney doubled to bring Barkel to the dish. Laib then came through with a single to plate Lowney and cut the lead to 4-3. Pitlick came on in relief and got Minnesota Crookston out of any further damage.

The Golden Eagles extended their lead to 5-3 in the top of the fourth when Antolak scored on a Trujillo groundout.

The Cardinals came through with a big inning in the bottom of the fifth as Pitlick got into some tough waters. Pearson opened up the scoring in the frame as she reached on an error by Boardman at short stop, allowing Pierce to come in to score. Kassidy Grandorff came into score on a groundout by Julianne Venier to knot the score up 5-5. Concordia-Ann Arbor took a 6-5 lead when Barkel doubled to drive in Pearson. Klaphake came on in relief and got Minnesota Crookston out of the inning.

Minnesota Crookston knotted the game up 6-6 in the top of the sixth as Rodriguez had an RBI groundout to drive in Tavia Lawson (Fr., C, Hawley, Minn.).
Concordia-Ann Arbor responded as Laib hit a walk-off solo shot to send the Cardinals off with a 7-6 win in the rain-shortened game.

Game 2 vs. Indiana-South Bend
Monday's second game of the day against Indiana-South Bend was a marathon affair as it went 11 innings and three hours before the Titans won with five runs in the 11^th as they went to the international tie breaker beginning in the sixth inning.

Mikayla Jones (Jr., RHP, Huxley, Iowa) got the start in the game and allowed six runs on 11 hits with two strikeouts and one walk. Luisa Silvain (Jr., RHP, Tucson, Ariz.) came in and had an impressive 5.1 innings of work, as she allowed just three unearned runs on four hits with four strikeouts. Klaphake came on and suffered the loss as she allowed three earned runs on three hits with one strikeout and one walk. Klaphake falls to 0-5 on the season.

The win for the Titans went to Becca Stevens, who allowed three unearned runs on three hits in five innings with seven strikeouts and three walks. Aly Brickel got the start and gave up three earned runs on seven hits in five innings. Bailey Bruce went one inning and gave up one earned run on two hits in one inning.

Minnesota Crookston looked to Morales, who was 2-of-5 with two RBIs and one run scored. Allen finished 2-of-5 with two RBIs and one run scored, while Strachan was 2-of-5 with two runs scored. Antolak went 2-of-5 with one RBI on the day.

Indiana-South Bend looked to Brooke Boss, who was 3-of-6 with three RBIs and one run scored. Kat Witting finished 2-of-6 with three RBIs and three runs scored, while Shelby Baker was 3-of-7 with two runs scored.

The Titans came out of the gate with three runs in the top of the first. Shannon McCarty started things off with a double to drive in Baker. Boss then doubled to bring in McCarty to move the lead to 2-0. Witting rounded out the inning with a single to plate Holly Weber to extend the advantage to 3-0.

Minnesota Crookston cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third when Rodriguez reached on an error at short stop, allowing Strachan to come around to score.

Indiana-South Bend responded with three runs in the fourth. Mackenzie Shields singled to drive in Kelsie West and move the lead to 4-1. Boss then delivered a double to plate Shields and Baker and extend the advantage to 6-1.

The Golden Eagles came up with a crucial inning in the sixth as they scored five runs and forced the game into the international tiebreaker starting in the seventh inning. Allen opened up the scoring when she singled to drive in Rodriguez. Trujillo would come in to score on a Rocky Bjorge (So., 1B, Prior Lake, Minn.) fielder's choice. A Morales single plated Allen to cut the deficit to 6-4. Antolak brought Minnesota Crookston one run closer with a single to plate Bjorge. The Golden Eagles came up with the game-tying run as Morales scored on a passed ball to knot it up 6-6.

The international run rule started in the top of the seventh. Indiana-South Bend scored a run as Brittany Probasco doubled to drive in Shields and move the advantage to 7-6.

The Golden Eagles answered and tied the score up 7-7 when Allen singled to plate Strachan in the bottom of the seventh.

The Titans moved the lead to 8-7 in the top of the eighth when Baker reached on an error, allowing Witting to score.

Minnesota Crookston again answered as Sam Rarick (Jr., IF, East Grand Forks, Minn.) scored on a passed ball to knot the game up 8-8.

Neither team scored in the ninth inning as the score remained tied up as the Golden Eagles missed an opportunity, leaving the bases loaded.

Indiana-South Bend moved the lead to 9-8 in the top of the 10^th when Witting scored on a passed ball.

The Golden Eagles again responded as Morales doubled in Bjorge to tie the game up 9-9 and send it to the 11^th frame.

Indiana-South Bend came up in a big way in the top of the 11^th with five runs guided by a pair of two RBI doubles from Witting and Stevens.

Minnesota Crookston had bases loaded with one out, but would be unable to come through to get any runs as the Titans hung on for the 14-9 victory.

Game 3 vs. Southern Connecticut State
The Golden Eagles were two-hit in the finale of Monday against Southern Connecticut State as the Owls won 8-0. The pitchers allowed only four earned runs for Minnesota Crookston but five errors and Southern Connecticut State's pitching led the Owls to the win.

Pitlick suffered the loss after allowing four earned runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and four walks. Klaphake came on in relief and gave up two unearned runs on one hit.

Victoria Ceballos got the win for Southern Connecticut State as she through a two-hit shutout over six innings with seven strikeouts and no walks.

Samantha Proctor (So., C/1B, Champlin, Minn.) and Khailyn Neumayer (Sr., OF, Morgan Hill, Calif.) had the only two hits of the day.

Southern Connecticut State was guided by Jaime Conklin, who went 1-of-3 with two RBIs. Delany Turner finished 1-of-3 with one RBI and one run scored. Jayden Delaporta finished 1-of-3 with one run scored.

The Owls got the scoring started in the first as Conklin stole second as Sara Buscetto scored. They added to the lead when Turner reached on an error, allowing Conklin to score to move the lead to 2-0.

Southern Connecticut State added a run in the fourth when Buscetto singled to drive in Lauryn Zubia and extend the lead to 3-0.

The Owls put up three runs in the fifth. Cailey Botteon opened things up by plating Turner and Delaporta on a fielder's choice. Botteon came in to score as Heather Jackson reached on an error at second base.

Southern Connecticut State put a stamp on the win with two more runs in the sixth. Turner singled to score Conklin. Delaporta then reached on an error at second base, allowing Kailey Westington to score.

Minnesota Crookston will look to rebound on Tues., March 13 as they take on Purdue University Northwest at 1 p.m. C.T. at Legends Way Field in Clermont, Fla. The Golden Eagles will wrap up the day against Jefferson University at 6 p.m. C.T. at Legends Way Field.