St. Cloud, Minn. – For the first time in more than two weeks, Minnesota Crookston softball was back in action, this time for a doubleheader against MSU Moorhead. The doubleheader was originally scheduled for Moorhead, then Aberdeen, S.D., and it was finally settled to St. Cloud, Minn.
The Dragons were able to keep the dangerous Golden Eagle offense at bay for most of the 14 innings, sweeping Minnesota Crookston, 6-0 and 6-2.
The Golden Eagles fall to 12-15 (0-2 NSIC).
Game One
In game one, Minnesota Crookston would struggle to get the bats going.
The game would be scoreless until the third inning. Evey Evans would break the scoreless tie with a home run, giving the Dragons a 2-0 lead.
MSUM would then add one more in the bottom of the fifth and would break the game open in the bottom of the sixth with three runs, capped off by a Kiley Washnieski two-run home run.
That would be the final, as the Dragons would shut out Minnesota Crookston for just the third time this season.
Minnesota Crookston finished with five hits, including a 2-3 day from
Whitnee Curry (So., MIF/OF, Lincoln, Neb.) and one hit apiece from
Dana Zarn (Sr., IF, Winnipeg, Manitoba),
Maddie Shwaluk (Jr., OF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) and
Shaelyn Grant (Jr., C/OF, Grand Junction, Colo.).
Thayda Houser (Jr., P, Seymour, Iowa) picked up the loss after going 4.0 innings, giving up three runs on six hits, while striking out four.
Evie Stuck (So., P/OF, Papillion, Neb.),
Alexa Guilford (Fr., P, Crystal City, Manitoba) and
Gracelynn Kelly (Fr., P, Black Hawk, S.D.) all came on in relief for the Golden Eagles.
Game Two
In game two, the Dragons would jump all over the Golden Eagles, scoring four runs off Golden Eagle starter
Charlotte Dombrowski (Fr., P/OF, Valparaiso, Ind.).
The Golden Eagles would try and chip away at the Dragons lead in the top of the third. Curry would single in
Paige Shwaluk (Jr., MIF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba), cutting the lead to 4-1.
MSUM answered for a pair in the bottom of the inning for a five-run lead.
In the top of the fourth, the maroon and gold would score a run on a bases loaded single by
Jenna Parfeniuk (R-Jr., P/1B, Winnipeg, Manitoba), scoring Zarn, making it 6-2.
That would be the final run of the game for either team, as the Dragons would sweep Minnesota Crookston with the 6-2 win.
The Golden Eagles finished with six hits in the game, highlighted by a two-hit day from
Paige Shwaluk. Curry, Zarn, Parfeniuk and
Alina Avalos (Sr., UT, Riverside, Calif.) each collected a hit.
Dombrowski drops to 2-3 on the season in the circle, giving up six runs on eight hits, while walking four in five innings of work. Stuck came in for relief and allowed a hit in one inning.
What's Next
Minnesota Crookston will stay in St. Cloud and play Northern State tomorrow afternoon for a doubleheader starting at 1 P.M.
