Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Tucson, Ariz. – Minnesota Crookston softball finally opened up their 2023 slate on Friday afternoon down in the sunshine of Arizona.
 
Minnesota Crookston fell in game one to Western Oregon, 11-5, but bounced back nicely in game two, knocking off Franklin Pierce, 5-3, in extra innings.
 
The Golden Eagles start their season at 1-1 with four more games left in Arizona over the weekend.
 
Game One
Western Oregon would get on the board in the top of the first, scoring a run on a Maddie Doig double.
 
In the bottom of the second, the Golden Eagles would put up a crooked number. Maddie Shwaluk (Jr., OF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) doubled in Haley Koch (So., C, Mondamin, Iowa), tying the game up at one.
 
Later in the inning, Whitnee Curry (So., MIF/OF, Lincoln, Neb.) would triple in a pair of runs, Shwaluk and her twin sister, Paige Shwaluk (Jr., MIF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) would each score to give the Golden Eagles their first lead of the season.
 
That lead wouldn't last long, as the Wolves would score three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings, to regain the lead at 7-3.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, Alina Avalos (Sr., IF, Riverside, Calif.) would hit her first home run of the season, a solo shot, to cut the deficit to 7-4.
 
WOU would score the next four runs to take an 11-4 lead heading into the final half inning.
 
Sophie Juntunen (Fr., 1B/OF, Albertville, Minn.) would drive in her first collegiate run on a sacrifice fly, scoring Dana Zarn (Sr., IF, Winnipeg, Manitoba). That would be too little, too late, as the Golden Eagles fell by six runs.
 
The Golden Eagles would finish with six hits, led by Avalos and Zarn, who each went 2-4 at the plate with a run scored. Curry and Maddie Shwaluk were the two Golden Eagles to collect a base knock. The Golden Eagles left nine runners on base.
 
Evie Stuck (So., P/OF, Papillion, Neb.) earned the opening day start and allowed seven runs, all of which were earned, on eight hits. Stuck falls to 0-1 on the season. Freshmen Alexa Guilford (Fr., P, Crystal City, Manitoba) and Gracelynn Kelly (Fr., P, Black Hawk, S.D.) each came in for relief of Stuck.
 
Game Two
The battle of the birds would be a fairly low scoring game between the Golden Eagles and the Franklin Pierce Ravens.
 
Minnesota Crookston would finally break the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth with one run.
 
In the top of the sixth, the Golden Eagles would add some insurance on another Curry extra base-hit, this time of the double variety, scoring Paige Shwaluk.
 
The Ravens would score a run in the bottom of the sixth and another one in the bottom of the seventh to send this game to extra innings.
 
In the eighth, the Golden Eagles would score a run, but the Ravens would answer with one of their own to send the game to the ninth.
 
In the top of the ninth, Shaelyn Grant (Jr., C/OF, Grand Junction, Colo.) and Zarn would collect a pair of huge RBI hits to give the Golden Eagles a 5-3 lead.
 
The lead would hold for the Golden Eagles, as they would hold the Ravens scoreless to earn the two-run win.
 
What's Next
Minnesota Crookston will be back in action tomorrow afternoon for another pair of games against Simon Fraser University and Mercyhurst University. Mercyhurst advanced to the NCAA Tournament a season ago.

First pitch with the Red Leafs is set for 11 A.M., Central time.