Viera, Fla. -- Minnesota Crookston softball finished day three the exact way they finished the first two days, with a split. Minnesota Crookston lost game one to Ursuline College, 4-1, but came back to defeat West Virginia Wesleyan in a slugfest, 15-11.
Minnesota Crookston moves to 5-15 on the season.
Minnesota Crookston finished game two with 17 hits, the most in a game by the Golden Eagles since Feb. 18, 2023, when they had 17 hits in a 23-13 loss to Simon Fraser.
Game One
Ursuline would strike first in game one, scoring a run in the first and third innings off of Riley Blake (So., P/OF, Las Vegas, Nev.), who was pitching in her first game this season.
The Golden Eagles would get one in the fifth inning, as Rayna French (Jr., C/UT, La Salle, Manitoba) would double down the left field line to cut the lead in half.
Later in the inning, French would be controversially called for runners' interference, keeping the Arrows lead at 2-1.
The Arrows would take that momentum and score a pair of runs in the top of the sixth for a 4-1 win.
The Golden Eagles would get the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but the Arrows would escape with the three run win.
The Golden Eagles finished with six hits, led by Blake, who had two hits in four at-bats.
The Golden Eagles left nine runners on base.
Blake was fantastic in the circle, giving up just three runs on five hits in five innings of work. Megan Surgenor (Fr., P/OF, Andover, Minn.) and Gabrielle Gomez (So., P/1B, Lakewood, Minn.) came in for relief and didn't give up an earned run.
Game Two
Game two would be an offensive onslaught for both teams.
The Golden Eagles would put up another crooked number, scoring four runs. Emily Kalina (Fr., P/CF, Rice Lake, Wis.) would start it with an RBI triple and Jocelyn Hernandez (So., UT, Tracy, Calif.) would book end the inning with an RBI single.
The Bobcats would answer with three runs of their own to cut the lead down to just one at 4-3.
In the second, the Bobcats would strike for five more runs, taking an 8-4 lead, meaning the maroon and gold would have to claw their way back.
That's exactly what they would do. Madisen Yandle (So., SS, Lakeville, Minn.) would single the opposite way, scoring both Valerie VanZant (Fr., MIF, Abilene, Kan.) and Irelyn Spencer (R-Jr., IF, Rapid City, S.D.) to cut the deficit to just two. The big swing would come off the bat of French, who would deliver a two out, bases clearing double, giving the Golden Eagles a 9-8 advantage.
French would come around to score on a wild pitch.
In the sixth, the Bobcats would answer and knot the game up at ten.
In the seventh, the Golden Eagles would take the lead for good. Blake would single in Yandle for an 11-10 lead. Later, Chayse Doering (So., OF, Shakopee, Minn.) would walk in a run.
The Golden Eagles would lead 15-10 heading into the bottom of the inning and the Bobcats would get a run, but wouldn't be enough, as Delaney Penner (So., P, Winkler, Manitoba) would finish the job.
Minnesota Crookston brought the sticks in the game, finishing with 17 hits. Five Golden Eagles finished with multi-hit games, led by French, Kalina, Spencer and VanZant, who each had three hits. Minnesota Crookston had 13 RBI's as a team.
Hannah Trzinski (So., P/1B, Stevens Point, Wis.) earned her second win of the season, going 4.1 innings of relief, giving up just two earned runs.
What's Next
Minnesota Crookston has an off day Saturday, before playing two more games on Sunday.
