Winona, Minn. – Minnesota Crookston softball was on the road on Friday afternoon, as they made the trek to Winona to take on the Winona State Warriors in an NSIC doubleheader.
In game one, the Warriors would strike early and often, upending the Golden Eagles by a score of 14-0 in five innings.
The Golden Eagles would bounce back in a fantastic way in game two, earning a 5-2 win for their first win over the Warriors, dating back to 2011.
The Golden Eagles move to 9-25 (2-8 NSIC) on the season.
Game One
The Warriors would start quickly. WSU would score four runs in the bottom of the first inning for a fast 4-0 lead.
After holding the Golden Eagles scoreless in the top of the second, the Warriors would break the game open with a seven run inning, taking an 11-0 lead.
WSU would score three more in the bottom of the third for the 14-0 lead and victory.
The Golden Eagles would collect three hits in the loss.
Paige Shwaluk (Sr., MIF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba),
Alison Ulrich (So., OF, Anchorage, Alaska) and
Emilee Haggadone (So., C, Lincoln, Neb.) would each collect a hit. The Golden Eagles would leave six runners on the base paths.
Evie Stuck fell to 2-6 in the circle, after giving up seven runs on five hits in an inning of work.
Kailee Pollard (Jr., P, Marshalltown, Iowa) and
Sydney Eggers (Fr., P, Sylvania, Ohio) each pitched in relief, as well.
Game Two
The Golden Eagles wouldn't take long to put game one behind them.
Paige Shwaluk would double to left center to lead off the game and she would advance to third on a sacrifice bunt from
Whitnee Curry (Jr., MIF/OF, Lincoln, Neb.).
Rayna French (Fr., C, La Salle, Manitoba) would walk and both Shwaluk and French would come around to score on a two RBI double from
Haley Koch (Jr., C, Mondamin, Iowa).
The Warriors would get one run in the bottom of the first and then another run in the bottom of the fourth to knot things up at two.
Both teams would be scoreless in the fifth inning, but the Golden Eagles would take a lead in the top of the sixth. Koch would get things started with a single to center. With two outs,
Reagan Emerick (R-Jr., MIF, Macomb, Ill.) would walk and both Koch and Emerick would move up a base to second and third.
Maddie Shwaluk (Sr., OF, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba) would drive in a run with an infield single, giving the Golden Eagles a 3-2 lead.
The maroon and gold would pitch a scoreless bottom of the sixth and would add some insurance with a Koch RBI single and an RBI groundout from
Ruth Freiberg (So., OF, Hopkins, Minn.).
Thayda Houser (Sr., P, Seymour, Iowa) was outstanding yet again and was able to shut down the Warriors in the bottom of the seventh for a big 5-2 win.
Koch led the way with a 3-4 game, tying her career-high in hits.
Paige Shwaluk added two more hits, her eighth multi-hit game of the season.
Houser was excellent yet again in the circle, improving to 2-8 on the season, going the distance, while giving up just two earned runs to one of the NSIC's best offenses.
