Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Tucson, Ariz. – Much like they did yesterday, Minnesota Crookston softball showed outstanding resiliency. The Golden Eagles lost their first game to Simon Fraser University (Canada), 23-15, but then bounced back nicely to defeat Mercyhurst University (Pa.), 12-3.
 
Minnesota Crookston improves to 2-2 on the season and will wrap-up the D2 Cactus Classic tomorrow with a pair of games.
 
Game One
In game one, the Red Leafs would jump all over the Golden Eagles, scoring the game's first seven runs, including five in the second inning.
 
In the bottom of the second, Shaelyn Grant (Jr., C/OF, Grand Junction, Colo.) would hit her first home run of the season to cut the deficit to six. Later on in the inning, Paige Shwaluk (Jr., MIF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) would collect a sacrifice fly with the bases full to score Jenna Parfeniuk (R-Jr., P/1B, Winnipeg, Manitoba).
 
In the third inning, the Golden Eagles would inch even closer. For the second straight game, Alina Avalos (Sr., IF, Riverside, Calif.) would hit a home run, this time the opposite way, to make it 7-3. Later on, Kate Garcia (Fr., OF, Sylmar, Calif.) would single up the middle, scoring Grant, to cap off the three run inning.
 
SFU would answer with four runs in the top of the fourth, but Minnesota Crookston would come back in the bottom half with an even bigger number.
 
The Golden Eagles would put up a seven spot in the inning with the help of four RBI base knocks, including a Kate Garcia 3-RBI double to tie the game at 11. Reagan Emerick (R-So., MIF, Macomb, Ill.) would give the Golden Eagles the lead with an RBI single.
 
From that point, the Red Leafs would score the next 12 runs, catapulting them to the 23-13 victory.
 
Minnesota Crookston did have a season-high 17 hits in the game, including a 4-5 effort from Avalos with 3 RBI and a 3-4 game from Garcia with a career-high four RBI. Grant also collected three hits and Emerick had a pair of hits, as did Parfeniuk.
 
In the circle, Evie Stuck (So., P/OF, Papillion, Neb.) earned the start and went 2.2 innings, while giving up seven earned runs on seven hits. Alexa Guilford (Fr., P, Crystal City, Manitoba) and Gracelynn Kelly (Fr., P, Black Hawk, S.D.) each came in for relief of Stuck. Kelly picked up the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season.
 
Game Two
In game two, the Golden Eagles would take control early on against Mercyhurst, who made the NCAA Tournament a season ago.
 
The Golden Eagles would bat around in the first inning, using four hits in the inning. The first four hitters in the Golden Eagle lineup would score a run in the first inning.
 
Charlotte Dombrowski (Fr., P/OF, Valparaiso, Ind.) would pitch a pair of 1-2-3 innings, allowing the Golden Eagles to take a 5-0 after three innings. Maddie Shwaluk (Jr., OF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) would drive in Parfeniuk.
 
The Lakers would strike back for three runs in the fourth after the maroon and gold would strike for two runs in the top of the fourth on a pair of doubles.
 
From that point, the Golden Eagles would score two runs in the fifth inning and three in the sixth, enough insurance runs for the 12-3 victory.
 
Avalos added another three hits in game two, while Dana Zarn (Sr., IF, Winnipeg, Manitoba) added two hits.
 
Dombrowski did it all. The freshman went 3-4 at the plate and pitched outstanding in the circle, picking up the win.
 
What's Next
The Golden Eagles will close out their trip to Arizona tomorrow with two games, including a rematch with Western Oregon at 11 A.M. Central. The Golden Eagles will then play another NCAA Tournament team, Georgian Court, at 1 P.M. Central.