Story by Hunter Plante (UMC Athletics)
After losing on a walk-off base hit in game one against Minot State, the Golden Eagles were able to bounce back and earn a split with the Beavers, with a 3-0 win in game two.
GAME ONE –
Minnesota Crookston would jump out to a great start in game one, using an Alina Avalos (Jr., IF, Riverside, Calif.) RBI double and a Whitnee Curry (Fr., UT, Lincoln, Neb.) RBI single, scoring Avalos, to take a 2-0 lead.
The Beavers would get one back in the bottom of the third, but the Golden Eagles would answer with an RBI triple from Leah Macias (Sr., OF, West Covina, Calif.), scoring Jenna Parfeniuk (R-So., 1B/P, Winnipeg, Manitoba).
Leading 3-2 in the fifth, the Golden Eagles would add on some insurance. Shaelyn Grant (So., C/OF, Grand Junction, Colo.) would double in a pair, scoring Curry and Dana Zarn (Jr., UT, Winnipeg, Manitoba), giving the Golden Eagles a 5-2 lead.
The Beavers would score four runs in the bottom of the seventh, all of which came with two outs, walking off the Golden Eagles on an Abbey Kelley RBI single through the left side for the 6-5 Beaver victory.
The Golden Eagles collected six hits, led by two apiece from Avalos and Grant. Grant also collected two RBI. Macias collected her first triple of the season as well.
Evie Stuck (Fr., P/OF, Papillion, Neb.) pitched well in the circle, but fell to 7-13 on the season. Stuck went 6.2 innings, giving up six runs, just two of which were earned on nine hits. Stuck also struck out four Beavers.
GAME ONE BOX SCORE – CLICK HERE
GAME TWO –
Game two would turn out to be a pitching duel and Thayda Houser (So., P, Seymour, Iowa) would toss her first career shutout, giving up just six hits and striking out seven, propelling the Golden Eagles to their record-setting 14th win of the season.
Both teams would be scoreless through the first four innings, but the Golden Eagles would finally breakthrough in the top of the fifth. Parfeniuk would double through the left side, scoring Grant and Curry.
Minnesota Crookston would add an insurance run on a Grant fielder’s choice, making it 3-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth.
That run support was all Houser would need. The Beavers would strand two runners in the bottom of the seventh as Houser would shut the door, earning the 3-0 shutout victory.
UMC broke the school record for wins in a season, set back in 2019, as they improve to 14-29 (5-13 NSIC). The Golden Eagles are slated to take on nationally-ranked Augustana University and Wayne State College on Saturday and Sunday. The games could be site-reversed this weekend due to the pending weather in Crookston.
GAME TWO BOX SCORE – CLICK HERE
