CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team dropped a pair Saturday, March 11 at the PFX Legends Way complex in Clermont, Fla. The Golden Eagles were edged 5-4 by Shepherd University, after the Rams scored two runs in the top of the fifth. The Golden Eagles were defeated 12-1 by No. 8 University of Indianapolis.
Minnesota Crookston fell to 7-13 after the losses. Shepherd improved to 9-3 Saturday. Indianapolis moved to 16-2 with the victory.
Game One
Shepherd got the go-ahead runs in the fifth inning when Kylie Condon tripled to center field, scoring Hannah Beeler, and Lauren Moore. Minnesota Crookston had the early 4-0 advantage after tallying four runs in the bottom of the first.
Thayda Houser (So., RHP, Seymour, Iowa) fell to 3-1 after allowing five runs, on nine hits in five innings of work. Houser struck out four and walked two.
Charlotte Dombrowski (Fr., RHP/OF, Valparaiso, Ind.) pitched two innings, allowing no runs, on one hit.
Kourtney McNatt started for Shepherd. She allowed one earned run, on one hit in 0.1 innings. Hannah Ruffner came on and got the win, dealing 6.2 innings in the circle. She allowed no runs, on five hits.
Minnesota Crookston had six hits.
Paige Shwaluk (Jr., MIF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) went 1-of-3, with a run scored. Dombrowski was 1-of-3.
Alina Avalos (Sr., IF, Riverside, Calif.) finished 1-of-4, with an RBI, and a run scored.
Dana Zarn (Sr., 3B, Winnipeg, Manitoba) went 1-of-2, with a run scored.
Maddie Shwaluk (Jr., OF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) finished 1-of-2, with an RBI.
Haley Koch (So., C, Mondamin, Iowa) finished 1-of-2, with an RBI.
The Golden Eagles started the scoring in the bottom of the first. Avalos hit an infield single, plating
Paige Shwaluk. Grant reached on an error to score Avalos to extend the lead to 2-0. With the bases loaded,
Maddie Shwaluk walked, scoring Zarn. To cap off the stanza, Koch walked with the bases loaded, bringing in
Whitnee Curry (So., MIF, Lincoln, Neb.).
Shepherd got three runs back in the second. Alex Mantz doubled down the line, scoring Beller. A Caitlin Donnelly single, brought in Mantz to trim the deficit to 4-2. Lexi Clatterbuck then doubled to right center, plating Donnelly.
The score remained at 4-3, until Condon came through with a triple to score Beeler and Moore. Minnesota Crookston was unable to respond, as the Rams came away with the victory.
Game Two
The eighth-ranked Greyhounds scored eight runs in the bottom of the first on their way to a 12-1 victory over the Golden Eagles in the second game of the day. Both teams struggled defensively, as they both committed three errors in the tilt.
Minnesota Crookston scored the first run of the game when Avalos singled to bring in
Paige Shwaluk.
UIndy responded with a big bottom of the first propelled by a three RBI double from Lexy Rees. The Greyhounds added a run in the second with a Dominique Proctor single to plate Shelby Cook.
Proctor came through with a bases-clearing double in the fourth, bringing in Emily O'Connor, Rees, and Cook.
The loss went to
Evie Stuck (So., RHP, Papillion, Neb.), who allowed eight runs, on nine hits. Stuck struck out one and walked two.
Alexa Guilford (Fr., LHP, Crystal City, Manitoba) pitched 0.2 innings, allowing no runs, on one hit.
At the plate, Curry led the way going 2-of-2. Avalos was 1-of-2, with an RBI.
Paige Shwaluk was 1-of-3, with a run scored.
Kate Garcia (Fr., OF, Sylmar, Calif.) went 1-of-1.
The Golden Eagles return to the diamond Monday, March 13 against D'Youville University at 1 p.m., and University of Illinois-Springfield at 3:30 p.m.
