Crookston, Minn.—The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team hosted Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons for a Friday doubleheader.
The Dragons used big innings in both games one and two to sweep the Golden Eagles on Friday night, to drop the Golden Eagles to 12-22 overall and 1-9 in conference play.
The Dragons showed their offensive prowess beating the Golden Eagles 7-3 and 14-5 in the doubleheader.
Game 1
The Dragons got on the board in the second inning after Dragon catcher Jordie McNeilly got the Dragons going with a three-run homerun, to put the Dragons up 3-0. McNeilly had a monster day for MSUM, going 3-4 with six RBI's.
The Golden Eagles got on the board after
Hannah Macias (Fr., OF, West Covina, Calif.) drove an opposite-field double down the left field line to score Mika Rodriguez (Jr., SS/2B, Laveen, Ariz.).
The teams would exchange runs in the third inning. The Golden Eagles had the bases loaded with no one out, but was only able to scratch just one run across, to cut the Dragon lead to 4-2.
The Golden Eagles would get closer in the fourth, as
Tavia Lawson (So., UT, Hawley, Minn.) reached on a fielder's choice that scored
Hannah Macias.
The Dragons would answer right back and would score two runs in the fifth and one in the seventh to pull away late and defeat the Golden Eagles 7-3.
Minnesota Crookston did have nine hits on the day, including two each from Macias and
Rocky Bjorge (Sr., 1B/3B, Prior Lake, Minn.).
Haley Strachan (Sr., OF, Phoenix, Ariz.),
Maggie Morales (Sr., 3B, Tuscon, Ariz.),
Malia Pula (Jr., UT, Gilroy, Calif.), Rodriguez and Sam Proctor (Jr., C, Champlin, Minn.) also added one hit each on the day.
Taylor Graven (So., RHP, Greene, Iowa) got the start in the circle and went 4.1 innings, while giving up 10 hits and six runs, while striking out four and walking just two.
Mikayla Jones (Sr., RHP, Huxley, Iowa) came in of relief of Graven and gave up one run on five hits and striking out one in 2.2 innings.
Game 2
In game two, the Dragons started out quickly once again, scoring a run in the top of the first off of Golden Eagle starter
Paige Pitlick (Jr., RHP, Jordan, Minn.).
The Golden Eagles would answer back in the bottom of the first after a Bjorge single that drove in
Jordan Peterson (So., C/UT, Lakeville, Minn.).
The Dragons would score 10 straight runs in the second and third innings to break the game wide open and lead 11-1 heading into the bottom of the third.
Hannah Macias would hit a two-run homerun to straight away centerfield that scored Peterson to cut the MSUM lead to 11-3.
The closest the Golden Eagles would get was 12-5 after Macias was back at it again, this time hitting a single up the middle to score Strachan and Rodriguez.
MSUM would score two more to end the game in the sixth inning and earn the sweep by winning 14-5.
It was an offensive game, as evident by the Dragons piling up 19 hits, compared to 10 for the Golden Eagles.
Minnesota Crookston had four separate hitters tally two hits, including Peterson, Macias, Rodriguez and Proctor. Macias had her best game as a Golden Eagle, driving in four runs.
Pitlick got the start and went two innings and gave up five runs on eight hits, while picking up the loss, to drop her to 5-13.
Darian Pancirov (Fr., RHP, Las Vegas, Nev.) came in of relief of Pitlick and gave up four runs and didn't record an out.
The Golden Eagles will look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against Northern State for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
