CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team had woes in the field and left 17 runners on base, as they fell 11-2 and 10-4 to Southwest Minnesota State University Saturday, April 3 at UMC Softball Field in Crookston, Minn.

The Golden Eagles fall to 5-15 with the losses, while Southwest Minnesota State improved to 14-6. UMN Crookston is 1-5 in the NSIC, while the Mustangs are 5-1 in the conference. They currently sit in a tie for second place in the NSIC standings.

Game One
The Golden Eagles fell 11-2 in the first game guided by a combined eight runs scored by the Mustangs in the fourth and fifth innings. Southwest Minnesota State had 14 hits on the game, while Minnesota Crookston had just six.

Sofia Gombos (Fr., P, Salinas, Calif.) suffered the loss for the Golden Eagles, after allowing seven earned runs on 11 hits. She had one strikeout and two walks. Kamryn Frisk (Sr., P, Anchorage, Alaska) came on in relief and allowed three runs on three hits in 0.2 innings of work.

Megan Cull picked up the win for the Mustangs. She allowed just two runs on five hits in three innings in the circle. Cull had four strikeouts.

Minnesota Crookston was guided at the plate by Leah Macias (Jr., OF, West Covina, Calif.), who went 2-of-2 with a run scored. Sarah Velasquez (Fr., OF, Chino, Calif.) finished 1-of-2 with two RBIs, while Shaelyn Grant (Fr., C, Grand Junction, Colo.) was 1-of-2.

The Mustangs were led by home runs from Kali Tomlinson and Jillian Noel.

Southwest Minnesota State got out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Emma Grote started out the scoring with an RBI double to drive in Bailey Johnson. Later in the inning, Tomlinson scored on a Jillian Noel groundout to make it 2-0.

The Mustangs extended their lead to 3-0 in the second when Grote singled to plate Johnson.

Minnesota Crookston cut the lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the second as Velasquez doubled to score Leah Macias and Samantha Gutierrez (Fr., C/1B, Riverside, Calif.).

Southwest Minnesota State widened their lead to 5-2 in the top of the fourth with a Tomlinson two RBI double to drive in Grote and Johnson. Noel then hit a two-run shot to plate herself and Tomlinson to extend the lead to 7-2.

The Mustangs widened the gap to 8-2 in the top of the fifth with a Grote single to drive in Molly Bull. To off the fifth, Tomlinson launched a three-run home run to drive in herself, Grote, and Johnson.

Minnesota Crookston was unable to close the gap in their half of the fifth as Southwest Minnesota State picked up an 11-2 run-rule victory.

Game Two
Minnesota Crookston struggled in the field with seven errors, and with runners left on base (11) in a 10-4 loss in game two to the Mustangs.

Katie Humhej (Sr., P, Surrey, British Columbia) got the start for the Golden Eagles and had a great first inning, striking out one and allowing no runs on no hits. Frisk came on in relief and had the loss in the game, allowing four runs on five hits in 1.1 innings of work. Gombos then came on for the Golden Eagles and gave up three earned runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings in the circle.


The win for the Mustangs went to Allison Christians, who came on in relief and went 3.1 innings, allowing just one run on four hits.
Minnesota Crookston had 13 hits in the game, but struggled to get the runs in, leaving 11 runners stranded. Dana Zarn (So., IF, Winnipeg, Manitoba) went 2-of-3 with a run scored. Rachel Jones (Fr., UT, Fort Collins, Colo.) finished 1-of-4 with two RBIs. Grant was 2-of-4 for the game, while Cassie Querry (Sr., C, Cassville, Pa.) was 3-of-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Leah Macias was 2-of-3. Alina Avalos (So., 1B, Riverside, Calif.) and Querry both had home runs for UMN Crookston.

Jillian Noel was 3-of-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored to lead the Mustangs, while Lileya Kebos was 2-of-5 with three RBIs.

Southwest Minnesota State got on the scoreboard in the top of the second when Madysson Schlinz singled in Makenna Waldow to make it 1-0. The Mustangs stranded two runners on base to keep the game at 1-0.

The Golden Eagles loaded up the bases in the bottom of the second, but were unable to get runners in, stranding two.

Southwest Minnesota State pushed in three runs in the top of the third. Noel started the scoring with a double to drive in Grote. Later in the inning, Kebos singled in Tomlinson and Noel to make it 4-0 in favor of the Mustangs.

The Mustangs added two runs in the top of the fourth. Noel singled in Johnson to extend the lead to 5-0. In the next at-bat, Kebos singled in Grote to give SMSU a 6-0 lead.

Minnesota Crookston countered in the bottom of the fourth. Querry started out the rally with a solo home run to cut the deficit to 6-1. Later in the inning, Jones singled to plate Zarn and Hannah Macias (Jr., OF, West Covina, Calif.) to trim the lead to 6-3.

Southwest Minnesota State responded in the top of the fifth. Tomlinson hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Molly Bull to give the Mustangs a 7-3 advantage. Noel continued a big day with a single to plate Johnson. Later in the stanza, Kaylee Hentges reached on an error, allowing Noel and Grote to come in to score to make it 10-3.

The Golden Eagles got a run back with an Avalos home run to cut the lead to 10-4 in the bottom of the fifth.

Minnesota Crookston put two on the bottom of the seventh as they looked to rally, but were unable to as they came up short 10-4.

Saturday marked the second-straight day a former Golden Eagle returned to UMC Softball Field. Friday it was Mika Rodriguez, a former Golden Eagle who is now a graduate transfer for University of Sioux Falls. Saturday it was former Golden Eagle player Kristi Larson, now an assistant coach for SMSU. Larson played softball and women's golf at Minnesota Crookston, finishing up in 2017.

The Golden Eagles hit the road to take on University of Minnesota Duluth Wednesday, April 7 at 2 and 4 p.m., in Duluth, Minn.