Springfield, Mo. – Minnesota Crookston lost a pair of tight games on day two at the Drury Classic on Saturday afternoon to Missouri S & T and Evangel University.
The Miners scored three runs in the seventh inning in game one to knock off the Golden Eagles in game one and the Valor struck for two runs in the top of the seventh to defeat the Golden Eagles in game two.
Minnesota Crookston falls to 2-12 on the season.
Game One
The Miners would get off to a fast start in the opening frame, striking for a run, taking a 1-0 lead. Missouri S & T would do the same in the top of the second to take a 2-0 lead.
The game would stay a 2-0 lead through the middle innings, but the Miners would score another run in the sixth to take a 3-0 lead.
The 3-0 lead wouldn't stand for long.
Whitnee Curry (Jr., MIF/OF, Lincoln, Neb.) would open the three-run inning by driving in
Paige Shwaluk (Sr., MIF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) to cut the Miner lead to 3-1.
One batter later,
Shaelyn Grant (Sr., C/OF, Grand Junction, Colo.) would hit her team leading fifth home run of the season, scoring Curry, to tie the game at three.
That would be the score heading into the seventh inning. The Miners would take the lead with a two run shot from Bryn Wooldridge for a 5-3 lead. Missouri S & T would add another insurance run to make it 6-3 in favor of the Miners heading into the final half inning.
The Golden Eagles would go down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh, falling by three runs.
The Golden Eagles had five hits in the game, one apiece coming from the top five in the batting order. Grant drove in two runs, while Curry drove in a run.
Thayda Houser (Sr., P, Seymour, Iowa) pitched well in the start, going 6.2 innings while giving up six earned runs on eight hits, while striking out five.
Kailee Pollard (Jr., P, Marshalltown, Iowa) came in for relief of Houser and got an out.
Game Two
The Golden Eagles would jump out to a fast start, looking to halt their losing streak. Grant would continue to stay hot on the season, driving in
Paige Shwaluk with a double to right field. Grant and Curry would later come to score on a
Rayna French (Fr., C, La Salle, Manitoba) two RBI double, for a 3-0 lead.
The Valor would not go down easily. Evangel would score the next three runs to knot things up at three heading into the later innings.
The Golden Eagles would regain the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as
Haley Koch (Jr., C, Mondamin, Iowa) would single in
Reagan Emerick (R-Jr., MIF, Macomb, Ill.) to take a 4-3 lead.
Evangel would get three hits and score a pair of runs in the seventh inning to take their first lead of the game at 5-4, which would be the score heading into the bottom of the inning.
The Golden Eagles would get a runner on base in the bottom half of the inning, but
Emilee Haggadone (So., C, Lincoln, Neb.) would not get past first, as the Golden Eagles would fall by a run.
Minnesota Crookston finished with seven hits in the game, led by Grant's two. French, Emerick, Koch and
Brittney Mengel (Jr., OF, Sullivan, Wis.) each had a hit.
Irelyn Spencer (R-Fr., IF, Rapid City, S.D.) had a hit in a pinch hitting role for the maroon and gold as well.
Charlotte Dombrowski (So., P/OF, Valparaiso, Ind.) went 5.2 innings in the circle and gave up six hits and three earned runs.
Evie Stuck (Jr., P, Papillion, Neb.) fell to 1-3 on the season, giving up two earned runs on three hits and got an out in relief.
What's Next
Minnesota Crookston will wrap-up their Missouri trip tomorrow morning against Minnesota Duluth in non-conference play at 9:30 A.M.
