ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston softball team dropped a pair Wednesday, April 12 to St. Cloud State University at the College of Saint Benedict Softball Field in St. Joseph, Minn. The Golden Eagles fell 10-0 in the first game, and 10-3 in game two.
Minnesota Crookston falls to 13-22 (1-9 NSIC) with Wednesday's losses. St. Cloud State improved to 23-14 (8-4 NSIC) with the wins.
Game One
The Huskies scored six runs in the top of the first and didn't look back in the 10-0 victory in the first game of the doubleheader. St. Cloud State was lifted by a two-run home run from Raven Vanden Langenberg in the bottom of the first.
Charlotte Dombrowski (Fr., P, Valparaiso, Ind.) suffered the loss after allowing six runs on nine hits in two innings. Dombrowski walked one.
Gracelynn Kelly (Fr., P, Black Hawk, S.D.) was solid in relief, going three innings and allowing just one run on one hit. Kelly struck out five and walked four.
Minnesota Crookston notched four hits in the game.
Dana Zarn (Sr., 3B, Winnipeg, Manitoba) was 2-of-2, as was
Paige Shwaluk (Jr., MIF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba).
St. Cloud State opened their big inning in the first with a Holly Weinberger double to plate Sydney Trees. Vanden Langenberg's two-run shot pushed the advantage to 3-0 for the Huskies. A Lydie Krueger single plated Jasmin Estrada to widen the gap to 4-0. Madison Spah then utilized a sacrifice fly to score Jamie Odlum and extend the lead to 5-0. The Huskies capped off the frame as Krueger scored on a wild pitch.
In the second stanza, Odlum used a two RBI single to push the advantage to 7-0, scoring Estrada, and Vanden Langenberg. Later in the inning, Spah singled down the left field line, driving in Maggie Fitzgerald.
St. Cloud State capped off the win in the fifth when Spah scored on a throwing error, after stealing third.
Game Two
Minnesota Crookston fell behind 6-0 going into the third inning. The Golden Eagles scored three runs in the third and fourth stanzas, but were unable to make up the deficit in a 10-3 loss to the Huskies.
The Golden Eagles got their bats going as they scored three runs on 10 hits.
Whitnee Curry (So., MIF, Lincoln, Neb.) went 3-of-4, with an RBI and a run scored.
Paige Shwaluk (Jr., MIF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) was 1-of-3, with an RBI.
Kate Garcia (Fr., OF, Sylmar, Calif.) went 1-of-3, with a run scored.
Shaelyn Grant (Jr., C/OF, Grand Junction, Colo.) finished 1-of-2, with an RBI and a run scored.
Thayda Houser (Jr., P, Seymour, Iowa) suffered the loss after allowing five earned runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings of work. Houser struck out two and walked one.
Evie Stuck (So., P, Papillion, Neb.) came on in relief and allowed four runs on five hits in 2.1 innings.
Alexa Guilford (Fr., P, Crystal City, Manitoba) pitched a scoreless inning in relief.
St. Cloud State got on the scoreboard first in the second stanza when Krueger singled in Estrada. Later in the inning, Spah tripled and scored on a throwing error, while she drove in Krueger pushing the lead to 3-0.
In the third, Weinberger doubled to left center, plating Trees. Also in the third, Estrada drove the ball over the fence in left center, driving in herself, and Weinberger to widen the gap to 6-0.
UMN Crookston made up some ground in the third when Grant hit a solo shot over the center field fence to trim the deficit to 6-1.
Minnesota Crookston made a further dent in the fourth with a solo home run from Curry, followed by an RBI hit by pitch from
Paige Shwaluk, scoring Garcia.
St. Cloud State responded in the fifth with a two-run shot from Estrada, scoring herself, and Vanden Langenberg. In the sixth, Spah hit another triple, scoring Krueger to push the lead to 9-3. The Huskies capped off the win with a Trees sacrifice fly to plate Spah.
Minnesota Crookston is slated to host Concordia University St. Paul Saturday, April 15 at 12 and 2 p.m., in Crookston, Minn.
