The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) Golden Eagle softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader 11-4 and 4-3 against Bemidji State in a pair of NSIC games played at Chet Anderson Stadium in Bemidji.
GAME ONE – Hannah Macias (Fr., West Covina, CA) opened the scoring for Minnesota Crookston putting the ball in play to the third baseman who made an error allowing Malia Pula (Jr., Gilroy, CA) and Haley Strachan (Sr., Phoenix, AZ) to score giving the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead. A ground out by Jordan Peterson (Soph., Lakeville) plated Macias from third base giving Minnesota Crookston a 3-0 lead after two innings. An error and double in the top of the third inning allowed Bemidji State to scrape two runs back in the top of the third inning pulling within 3-2. In the top of the fourth inning, Bemidji State took their first lead of the game. An attempted sacrificed bunt led to an error at third base allowing the tying run to score. The Beavers’ next batter drove a ball over the left-center field fence for a three-run shot giving Bemidji State a 6-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Samantha Proctor singled to left field to start the inning. A walk to Mikaela Rodriguez (Jr., Laveen, AZ) put runners on first and second base before a single by Maggie Morales (Sr., Tucson, AZ) loaded the bases. Following a strikeout, Malia Pula drove a sacrifice fly to left field allowing Proctor to score from third base while trimming Minnesota Crookston’s deficit down to 6-4 heading into the sixth inning. Bemidji State ended any momentum UMC had in the top of the sixth inning using a three-run home run followed by a two-run inside-the-park homerun aided by an error in right field to take an 11-4 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning. Trailing by seven runs to start the seventh and final inning, Samantha Proctor (Jr., Champlin) and Mikaela Rodriguez singled to start the inning. After a fly out to center field, Rocky Bjorge (Sr., Prior Lake) singled to center field loading the bases with one out in the inning. A lineout double play ended Minnesota Crookston seventh-inning rally as the Beavers hung on for an 11-4 win in game one.
| G1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| BSU | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 13 | 1 |
| UMC | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 5 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Taylor Graven – UMC | 3.1 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 |
| Mikayla Jones – UMC | 2.2 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Darian Pancirov – UMC | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
For UMC
Malia Pula – 2-3, RBI, run
Haley Strachan – 2-3, run
Samantha Proctor – 2-4, run
Maggie Morales – 2-4, double
GAME TWO – Bemidji State’s offense continued where it left off in game two with the Beavers striking for two runs in the first inning. After a wild pitch put runners on second and third base, a single back to the pitcher plated the first run of the inning before a line drive to center field scored the second run of the inning giving Bemidji State a 2-0 lead after the top of the first inning. In the bottom of the first inning, Mikaela Rodriguez (Jr., Laveen, AZ) reached on an errant throw by the Bemidji State first baseman before a Maggie Morales (Sr., Tucson, AZ) infield single put runners on the corners. After a groundout, Samantha Proctor (Jr., Champlin) ripped a single over third base scoring both Rodriguez and Morales tying the game at 2-2. A walk and a bunt single loaded the bases but a strikeout left the bases packed with the game tied at 2-2 after one inning. An error by UMC’s pitcher allowed the Beavers to regain the lead in the third inning with a runner scoring from third base pushing BSU ahead 3-2 heading into the bottom of the third inning. In the top of the fourth inning, Bemidji State added another run. BSU’s first two batters were retired and they followed with back-to-back singles before a ground rule double and the Beavers led 4-2. Trailing by two runs to start the seventh inning, Malia Pula (Jr., Gilroy, CA) doubled down the left field line extending the game before Maggie Morales singled up the middle plating Pula and putting the tying run on first base with two outs in the inning. A walk to Rocky Bjorge (Sr., Prior Lake) moved Morales to second base, but a groundout to third base stranded the tying run in scoring position as Bemidji State closed out a 4-3 win.
Minnesota Crookston falls to 11-15 overall and 0-2 to start conference play. The Golden Eagles return to the diamond on Saturday when the Golden Eagles take on Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Bemidji State improves to 19-7 overall and 2-0 in NSIC games.
| G2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| BSU | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 1 |
| UMC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
| Paige Pitlick – UMC | 7.0 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
For UMC
Maggie Morales – 3-4, RBI, run
Samantha Proctor – 2-4, 2 RBI
