WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team opened play in Florida with a split Tuesday, March 15 at Diamondplex in Winter Haven, Fla. The Golden Eagles fell 9-1 in game one to the University of New Haven, but bounced back for a 9-1 run-rule win over Southern Connecticut State University. The Golden Eagles were led in their win by a stand-out pitching performance from
Thayda Houser (So., RHP, Seymour, Iowa) and nine runs on 13 hits.
Minnesota Crookston improved to 8-11 with Tuesday's split in Florida. New Haven moved to 3-4 with the victory. Southern Connecticut State dropped to 2-2 on the season.
Game One
New Haven took the first game 9-1 guided by seven run in the bottom of the fourth inning.
UMN Crookston had five hits for the first game.
Dana Zarn (Jr., IF, Winnipeg, Manitoba) paced the team going 2-of-2, with two ground-rule doubles.
Jordan Peterson (R-Sr., UT, Lakeville, Minn.) was 1-of-2, with an RBI, and a run scored.
Shaelyn Grant (So., C/OF, Grand Junction, Colo.) finished 1-of-2, as was
Jenna Parfeniuk (R-So., UT, Winnipeg, Manitoba). Peterson had a home run for the Golden Eagles.
Evie Stuck (Fr., RHP, Papillion, Neb.) started the game and tossed 3.1 innings. She allowed two earned runs, on three hits, with two strikeouts, and two walks.
Annjelica Moreno-Engelbrecht (R-Jr., RHP/UT, Oceanside, Calif.) went 0.2 innings in relief, giving up five unearned runs, on three hits, and two walks.
The Chargers were guided by Nahtali Simpson, who went 2-of-3, with three RBIs, and a run scored, including a home run. Melissa Bike was 1-of-3, with three RBIs, and a run scored, including a home run. Maeve Lougheed was 1-of-2, with two RBIs, and a run scored.
Selena Aponte picked up the win in the circle for New Haven. She pitched five innings, giving up one run, on five hits, with no strikeouts, and two walks.
Game Two
The Golden Eagles exploded for nine runs on 13 hits in the 9-1 victory over the Owls. Minnesota Crookston was lifted by a Zarn grand slam in the fourth. She went 2-of-5, with five RBIs, and a run scored.
Alina Avalos (Jr., IF, Riverside, Calif.) had a great game at the plate, going 2-of-4 with an RBI, and two runs scored. Grant finished 2-of-4, with two runs scored.
Emerson Thompson (Fr., C/1B, Lincoln, Neb.) went 1-of-3, with two RBIs.
Ariana Gambala (So., UT, San Diego, Calif.) was 2-of-3, while Parfeniuk was 2-of-3. UMN Crookston had eight players hit in Tuesday's second game.
Houser was the stand-out on the mound, picking up her second victory as a Golden Eagle. She went five innings, allowing just one run, on three hits. She struck out three, and walked two.
The loss for the Owls went to Emma Gorham, who allowed six earned runs, on 10 hits, over three innings. Madison Shura came on in relief, and gave up one run, on three hits, over 1.2 innings.
Minnesota Crookston jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the first. Thompson opened things up with a single to center field, driving in Avalos, and Peterson.
The Golden Eagles pushed their advantage to 4-0 in the bottom of the second.
Hannah Macias (Sr., OF, West Covina, Calif.) came into score on a passed ball. With two outs, Avalos singled to drive in Grant.
UMN Crookston added four runs in the bottom of the fourth, all coming on a Zarn grand slam, plating Avalos,
Gabriella Blomdahl (Jr., OF, Duluth, Minn.), and Grant.
The Owls got a run back in the top of the fifth when Madelyn Sauve had a pinch-hit triple, driving in Dominique DeLutri.
Minnesota Crookston was able to earn the run-rule win in walk-off fashion when Zarn doubled down the left field line, plating
Brittney Mengel (Fr., OF, Sullivan, Wis.) as the Golden Eagles won 9-1.
UMN Crookston will continue play Wednesday, March 16. The games have been pushed back an hour due to rain Tuesday night and Monday morning. The Golden Eagles play Saint Michael's College at 10 a.m. C.T., and Purdue University Northwest at 2:30 p.m. C.T. at Diamondplex in Winter Haven, Fla.
