CLERMONT, Fla. – The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team dropped a pair of games Fri., March 16 as they fell 10-1 to Northwood University and 8-5 to Salem University. The Golden Eagles trailed by just 3-0 heading into the fifth inning until The Timberwolves scored seven runs in the final two innings to win 10-1. Minnesota Crookston owned a 4-0 lead going into the third frame when Salem scored five runs in the third as they came away with an 8-5 victory. Friday's games were played at Legends Ways Ballfields located at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla.

Minnesota Crookston falls to 4-17 on the 2018 season with Friday's losses. The Golden Eagles have posted a 1-10 mark during their Florida excursion. Minnesota Crookston has been close have lost four games by two runs or losses during their Florida trip. Northwood improves to 10-5 on the season. Salem improves to 1-15 on the season.

Game 1 vs. Northwood
Paige Pitlick (So., RHP, Jordan, Minn.) got the start in game one against Northwood. She picked up the loss after giving up five unearned runs with just one earned run on five hits in 4.2 innings of work. Pitlick had one strikeout and three walks. Kassidy Klaphake (Sr., RHP, Cold Spring, Minn.) came on in relief and went 1.1 innings, giving up one earned run on five hits with one walk.

Shayna Frank earned the win for the Timberwolves after allowing one unearned run on three hits in six innings with eight strikeouts and three walks.

Minnesota Crookston was guided at the plate by Jenna Boardman (Sr., SS/2B, Genoa, Wis.), who was 1-of-2 with one run scored. Khailyn Neumayer (Sr., OF, Morgan Hill, Calif.) went 1-of-2, while Maggie Morales (Jr., 1B/OF, Tucson, Ariz.) was also 1-of-2.

Northwood looked to Tara Gross, who was 3-of-4 with two runs scored. Sydni Pauley finished 2-of-3 with two runs scored, while Abby Joseph went 2-of-3 with two RBIs and one run scored.

Northwood finally broke through in the top of the third. With two outs, Joseph singled to plate Gross to move the score to 1-0. Julia Gross then reached on an error by Luisa Silvain (Jr., RHP/OF, Tucson, Ariz.) in right field as Joseph and Torriya Gray-Baker came in to score to move the lead to 3-0.

The score remained at 3-0 until the top of the sixth when the Timberwolves added to their lead. Pauley came through to score on a Julia Gross sacrifice fly to right field to extend the advantage to 4-0. Brooke Wauters then delivered a double to plate Karli Godlewski and Taylor Schmitt to move the lead to 6-0.

Minnesota Crookston cut the deficit to 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth as Haley Strachan (Jr., OF, Phoenix, Ariz.) reached on an error at third base to bring Boardman around to score. The Golden Eagles had a chance to add more runs with just one out and the bases loaded, but the final two batters struck out and lined out as the score remained 6-1 in favor of the Timberwolves.

Northwood extended their lead in the top of the sixth. Joseph hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Tara Gross. Gray-Baker then reached on a Strachan error in left field as Pauley came in to score. Mikala Gronbeck continued the inning as she singled to plate Gray-Baker to extend the lead to 9-1 Wauters then singled to drive in Julia Gross to move the advantage to 10-1.

Game 2 vs. Salem
The Golden Eagles came right out of the gate with a big first inning. After walks were offered to Victoria Bayliss (Sr., OF, West Bloomfield, Mich.) and Mikaela Rodriguez (So., 2B/SS, Laveen, Ariz.), a wild pitch brought Bayliss in to score. Neumayer delivered a double to plate Rodriguez to move the Minnesota Crookston advantage to 2-0. With still only one out, Rocky Bjorge (So., 1B/3B, Prior Lake, Minn.) singled to plate Neumayer to move the lead to 3-0. The Golden Eagles left two stranded on the base paths but they still held on to a 3-0 lead.

Minnesota Crookston added a run in the top of the second with two outs as Rodriguez singled to drive in Strachan. A Neumayer single, moved Rodriguez over to second but Silvain grounded out to short stop as the lead remained at 4-0 for the Golden Eagles.

The Golden Eagles again put up a threat in the top of the third with singles from Bjorge and Boardman. However, they left both runners stranded as the lead stayed at 4-0 for Minnesota Crookston.

Salem finally got to Minnesota Crookston starter Silvain in the bottom of the third. With one out, Casey Moritz doubled to score Tori Butler. A Morgan Atkinson doubled later in the inning brought in Moritz and Rosey Romick to cut the deficit to 4-3. The Tigers overtook the Golden Eagles for the lead in the next at-bat when Hanna Crew doubled to plate Atkinson and Ariana Garcia to put the score at 5-4. The hit chased Silvain from the circle, as Mikayla Jones (Jr., RHP, Huxley, Iowa) came on in relief.

Minnesota Crookston evened the slate 5-5 in the top of the fourth as Jones hit a sacrifice fly to center field to drive in Bayliss.

Salem took the lead again in the bottom of the fourth when Crew singled to drive in Garcia to move the score to 6-5 in favor of the Tigers.

Salem added runs in the bottom of the sixth. Garcia singled to plate Moritz to extend the advantage to 7-5. With the bases loaded, Jordan Whitaker was hit by a pitch to plate Garcia to move the lead to 8-5.

Minnesota Crookston was unable to break through in the top of the seventh as the Tigers held on for the win 8-5.

Silvain got the start for the Golden Eagles and allowed four earned runs on five hits in 2.1 innings of work. Jones suffered the loss after giving up three runs on four hits with one strikeout and four walks. Kassidy Klaphake (Sr., RHP, Cold Spring, Minn.) went 0.1 innings and allowed no runs on no hits.

Romick got the win after giving up no earned runs on no hits with five strikeouts in 4.2 innings of relief.

The Golden Eagles will end their Florida trip with a game against University of Northwestern Ohio at 8 a.m. C.T. Sat., March 17.