Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 TOPEKA, Kan. – The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team ended the Washburn Invite Sunday, February 26 with a split. The Golden Eagles fell 8-6 to Pittsburg State but rebounded with a 10-4 victory over the University of Nebraska Kearney.

The Golden Eagles finish their trip to Kansas with a 2-3 mark. UMN Crookston sits at 4-7 with Sunday's split. Pittsburg State is 10-6 after going 3-0 at the Washburn Invite. Nebraska Kearney dropped to 10-6 with the loss.

Game One
Minnesota Crookston jumped out to an early 4-0 advantage, but the Gorillas scored two in the first and four in the second to help secure an 8-6 victory.

The Golden Eagles looked to Alina Avalos (Sr., IF, Riverside, Calif.) went 2-of-3, with two RBIs, and three runs scored. Dana Zarn (Sr., IF, Winnipeg, Manitoba) finished 1-of-4, with an RBI, and a run scored. Kate Garcia (Fr., OF, Sylmar, Calif.) went 1-of-4, with a run scored, and an RBI.

Jenna Parfeniuk (Sr., 1B/RHP, Winnipeg, Manitoba) suffered the loss after throwing 1.2 innings, and allowing five runs, on five hits. Gracelynn Kelly (Fr., RHP, Black Hawk, S.D.) came on in relief and allowed two earned runs, on three hits. Kelly struck out four and walked four. Alexa Guilford (Fr., RHP, Crystal City, Manitoba) pitched the final scoreless inning.

Lilli Weir got the win in relief, going four innings. She allowed two earned runs, on five hits. Weir struck out six, and walked four.

The Gorillas were lifted by Paxtyn Hayes, who went 2-of-3, with three RBIs, and two runs scored. Heather Arnett went 2-of-3, with two RBIs, and a run scored.

Minnesota Crookston got out to the early 4-0 lead. Garcia opened the scoring with a single, driving in Paige Shwaluk (Jr., MIF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba). In the next at-bat, Avalos lifted one over the fence, scoring herself, and Garcia. UMN Crookston pushed the lead to 4-0 when Maddie Shwaluk (Jr., OF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) was walked with the bases loaded, scoring Zarn.

Pittsburg State got two runs back in the bottom of the first. Arnett singled in Taylor Lambert to make it 4-1. Hayes then hit a solo shot over the fence to cut the UMN Crookston lead to 4-2.
Minnesota Crookston pushed the lead to 5-2 when Avalos scored on a Grant sacrifice fly.

The Gorillas overtook the lead in the bottom of the second. Gracie Sullivan led off the inning with a home run for Pittsburg State. Arnett then delivered another clutch RBI single, scoring Keelah Griffith. With Kelly in the circle, Hayes delivered a ball over the fence to give the Gorillas a 6-5 lead, scoring herself, and Arnett.

UMN Crookston tied the slate 6-6 in the top of the fourth when Avalos scored on a Zarn groundout.

The Gorillas took the lead back 7-6 in the bottom of the fourth when Kianna Pellegrino reached on an error, allowing Lambert to come to the dish. Pittsburg State made it 8-6 in the bottom of the sixth when Lambert took home. UMN Crookston was unable to deliver the answer, as the Gorillas won 8-6.

Game Two
The Golden Eagles were lifted in the 10-4 victory by two RBI days from Charlotte Dombrowski (Fr., RHP/OF, Valparaiso, Ind.), Shaelyn Grant (Jr., OF/C, Grand Junction, Colo.), and Dana Zarn (Sr., IF, Winnipeg, Manitoba).

Thayda Houser (Jr., RHP, Seymour, Iowa) got the win in relief, throwing 1.2 innings and allowing two earned runs, on four hits. Houser struck out three and had no walks. Evie Stuck (So., RHP, Papillion, Neb.) had a great relief outing. She went three innings in the circle, with no runs and no hits. She struck out one and walked one. Alexa Guilford (Fr., RHP, Crystal City, Manitoba) started the game and went three innings. She allowed one run, on four hits. Guilford struck out one and didn't have a walk.

Madison Rosenthal suffered the loss for the Lopers. She allowed eight earned runs, on seven hits. Rosenthal struck out two and walked seven in the game.

Dombrowski paced UMN Crookston, going 2-of-4, with two RBIs, and two runs scored. Zarn went 1-of-3, with two RBIs, and a run scored. Grant was 1-of-3, with two RBIs, and a run scored. Zarn, Dombrowski, and Grant all hit home runs. Paige Shwaluk (Jr., MIF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) went 1-of-2, with two runs scored.

Minnesota Crookston jumped out to the early 1-0 lead with an Avalos single, plating Paige Shwaluk. The Golden Eagles extended their lead to 3-0 later in the frame with a two-run shot from Dombrowski, scoring herself, and Avalos.

Nebraska Kearney cut the deficit to 3-1 when Kylee Bruning launched a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Jaiden Harteker.

UMN Crookston pushed their lead to 5-1 in the third when Grant reached on an error, allowing Avalos, and Brittany Mengel (So., OF, Sullivan, Wis.) to come around to the dish.
The Lopers trimmed the deficit to 5-3 in the fourth with a two-run shot from Avery Wood, scoring herself, and Harteker.

Minnesota Crookston pushed the lead to 6-3 when Curry moved to third on a wild pitch, and then took home.

Nebraska Kearney pulled within 6-4 when Sydney Thomason scored on a passed ball in the fifth. Minnesota Crookston responded with a two-run home run from Grant, scoring herself, and Dombrowski.

In the sixth, UMN Crookston pushed the lead to 8-4 with a two-run blast from Zarn, driving in herself, and Paige Shwaluk.

Minnesota Crookston will head to the Drury Classic next weekend in Springfield, Mo. They will get another look at Nebraska Kearney as they open the tournament with the Lopers Friday, March 3 at 10 a.m.