Fayette, Iowa – A wild spring continues for Minnesota Crookston softball. The Golden Eagles will be back on the road this weekend for two doubleheaders at Upper Iowa and Winona State on Friday and Saturday.
Minnesota Crookston was in St. Cloud last weekend, going 1-3 in four games against MSU Moorhead and splitting with Northern State.
The Golden Eagles are just two wins away from tying last season's win total of 15.
How to Follow
Minnesota Crookston @ Upper Iowa
Friday, April 7
2 / 4 P.M.
Fayette, Iowa / Eischeid Softball Complex
Watch Live -- https://nsicnetwork.com/uiupeacocks/
Live Stats -- https://uiupeacocks.com/sidearmstats/softball/summary
Minnesota Crookston @ Winona State
Saturday, April 8
12 / 2 P.M.
Winona, Minn. / Maynard R. Johnson Softball Field
Watch Live -- https://nsicnetwork.com/winonastatewarriors/
Live Stats -- https://winonastatewarriors.com/sidearmstats/softball/summary
Minnesota Crookston (13-16)
Alina Avalos (Sr., IF, Riverside, Calif.) leads the way for the Golden Eagles. The senior is hitting .422 on the season, while driving in 28 runs, which is just seven RBI's away from a career-high. Avalos has 38 hits, 11 of which have been extra base hits.
Whitnee Curry (So., IF/OF, Lincoln, Neb.) has also been really good, hitting .359 with 16 runs knocked in. Freshman
Charlotte Dombrowski (Fr., P/OF, Valparaiso, Ind.) and
Dana Zarn (Sr., UT, Winnipeg, Manitoba) are each hitting over .300 on the season.
Paige Shwaluk (Jr., MIF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) has been an unreal table setter at the top of the order, scoring 24 runs on the season, which is ninth in the Northern Sun.
In the circle,
Thayda Houser (Jr., P, Seymour, Iowa) has started seven games and has a sub-4.00 ERA, with two shutouts. Houser leads the staff with 30 strikeouts and is giving up a .248 batting average to opponents. Dombrowski and
Evie Stuck (So., P/OF, Papillion, Neb.) have combined to make 16 starts on the season.
Upper Iowa (10-14)
The Peacocks are 10-14 on the season and 2-4 in the NSIC, with wins over Southwest Minnesota State and the University of Sioux Falls.
Laila Pelds is hitting .436 on the season and has two home runs and 18 RBI. The junior has 11 multi-hit games on the season, including three in her last five games. Ari Charles is tied for the team lead in hits with 34, but leads her team with 23 runs scored. Taylor Sedam, Serah Shafer and Samantha Jessie are hitting over .300.
In the circle, UIU has struggled pitching the ball. The Peacocks have a team ERA of 4.82, which ranks near the bottom in the NSIC. Rylee McGonigle has appeared in six games this season and has an ERA of 4.23 in 27.2 innings of work. Abby Buckman and Delaney Vetter have eaten up the most innings, combining for more than 100 innings of work. Vetter has struck out 63 hitters on the season.
Winona State (22-9)
Winona State is an NSIC and National powerhouse. The Warriors have won the NSIC Regular Season five times and the postseason championship seven times. This season, WSU is 22-9 and has just one loss in conference play, a 4-3 setback against Sioux Falls.
Carly Englehardt and Marissa Mullen anchor a Warrior offense in the middle of the order. Engelhardt, the junior from Illinois, has an OPS of 1.109 and has 13 extra base hits, including six home runs and 26 runs knocked in. Mullen, the fifth-year senior has an OPS of 1.063 and has five home runs and 29 runs knocked in. Mullen is hitting .368, while Engelhardt is hitting .367. The Warriors hit .285 as a team.
In the circle, the Warriors have a dynamic duo of Abby Smith and Abbie Hlas. The duo with the same namesake have combined to pitch more than 180 innings and have 19 complete games. Smith has a 1.74 ERA and has allowed just 23 earned runs on the season. Hlas, the Adel, Iowa native leads the team with 52 strikeouts and is 9-3 on the season. Smith is 11-3 on the year.
