Viera, Fla. -- Following an off day on Saturday, Minnesota Crookston softball was back in action on Sunday for another doubleheader with Rockhurst and the first of two straight with Malone.
Minnesota Crookston was stymied in game one by Rockhurst, finishing with one hit and falling, 5-0.
The Golden Eagles fell in a thriller in game two, dropping by a pair of runs to Malone University in extra innings, 5-3.
Game One
Delaney Penner (So., P, Winkler, Manitoba) earned the start in the circle and was outstanding throughout the first two innings, giving up just one hit and holding the Hawks scoreless.
The third inning is where the Hawks would do most of their damage, scoring three runs, using a pair of Golden Eagle errors.
Rockhurst would add two more in the fourth, which would be all they needed in the 5-0 win.
Minnesota Crookston finished with just one hit, which came off the bat of Irelyn Spencer (R-Jr., IF, Rapid City, S.D.), a double down the right field line. Minnesota Crookston left just two runners on base and struck out ten times.
Penner picked up the loss in the circle, falling to 0-4 on the season, going 3.1 innings and giving up five runs, just two of those were earned.
Game Two
Minnesota Crookston would be the home team against Malone and see the Pioneers strike for a run off of Valerie VanZant (Fr., P/IF, Salina, Kan.) for an early 1-0 lead.
VanZant would get out of a two out jam in the top of the second.
The Golden Eagles would break through in the third. Riley Blake (So., OF/P, Las Vegas, Nev.) would reach on an error and Rayna French (Jr., C, La Salle, Manitoba) would single through the left side. Both would come around to score on a Emily Kalina (Fr., CF/P, Rice Lake, Wis.) RBI rope to left, knotting the game up at two.
The game would stay scoreless through 4 ½, as Hannah Trzinski (So., P/1B, Stevens Point, Wis.) would come in for relief of VanZant and was fantastic.
In the bottom of the fifth, Sophie Juntunen (Sr., 1B, St. Michael, Minn.) would send a laser out to center field, but the Pioneers center fielder would make a wonderful diving catch to halt a potential rally.
The game would head to the seventh tied at two.
In the seventh, Malone would load the bases with one out, but would score just one run for a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
Chayse Doering (So., CF, Shakopee, Minn.) would lead the inning off with a single. Charlotte Dombrowski (Sr. OF/P, Valparaiso, Ind.) would come in to pinch-run and would score the tying run on an RBI single from Juntunen. Minnesota Crookston would leave runners on first and second with one out and we would head to extra innings for the second time this season.
Malone would score two in the top of the eighth and hold the Golden Eagles in the bottom of the eighth inning for the two run victory.
The Golden Eagles finished with five hits and left six runners on base.
What's Next
Minnesota Crookston is back in action tomorrow for their final doubleheader in Florida, starting with a rematch with Malone at 11:15 AM.
