The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) Golden Eagles Softball team wrapped up their season today with a doubleheader against the University of Sioux Falls (USF) Cougars. USF took the first game 6-3 before winning the second game 13-3 and completing the sweep of the Golden Eagles.
GAME 1 –
After UMC went scoreless in the top of the first inning, USF got on the board in the bottom of the frame with a walk and 2-out double, making it 1-0 Cougars.
After a scoreless second inning for both teams, the Golden Eagles claimed the lead in the top of the third inning. Hannah Macias (Sr. West Covina, CA.) led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch, and Gabriella Blomdahl (Jr. Duluth, Minn.) drew a walk putting runners on first and second base and nobody out. Jordan Peterson (Sr. Lakeville, Minn.) then reached on a Cougars error, and Macias came all the way around to score and tie the game at 1-1. The next hitter was Alina Avalos (Jr. Riverside, CA.), who ripped a double to centerfield scoring Blomdahl and Peterson and giving UMC a 3-1 edge. Sioux Falls would get the next three Golden Eagles out and keep the deficit at 3-1.
USF would threaten in the bottom of the third with two singles, but Thayda Houser (So, Seymour, IA.) would get out of the inning without any damage. After a scoreless fourth inning for both teams, UMC would threaten in the top of the fifth with a 2-out double from Avalos, and a single from Shaelyn Grant (So. Grand Junction, Colo.), but the Golden Eagles would leave the two stranded on base and hold a 3-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.
The Cougars finally got their offense going in the bottom of the fifth inning, with a leadoff single, and 2 run blast over the centerfield fence to tie the game at 3-3. USF capitalized on the momentum by then hitting a double, and a few batters later would hit a sacrifice fly to pull ahead 4-3 after five innings of play.
UMC went 1-2-3 in the top of the sixth inning, and the Cougars would add two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on another home run to take a 6-3 lead into the final inning. The Golden Eagles would go down quietly 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh, giving USF the comeback victory in Game 1 6-3.
GAME ONE BOX SCORE, CLICK HERE
For UMC-
Alina Avalos 3 for 4, rbi, run
Shaelyn Grant 1 for 3
Dana Zarn 1 for 3
Gabriella Blomdahl, BB, run
| Game 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| UMC | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| USF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | – | 6 | 13 | 2 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
| Thayda Houser- UMC (L, 7-12) | 4 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Evie Stuck- UMC | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Hanna Cress- USF (W, 11-13) | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
GAME 2 –
UMC once again jumped out to an early lead in Game 2. Avalos continued her hot day at the plate ripping a 2-out double in the top of the first inning, and Grant then singled her home giving the Golden Eagles the early 1-0 lead as they looked for a split.
The lead didn’t last long, as USF loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning with a single, UMC error, and walk. With just 1 out, the Cougars took advantage of another Golden Eagles error to tie the game at 1-1 and leave the bases loaded. The Golden Eagles would get the next hitter out, but before they could get out of the inning, a 2-out single would score two runs and put USF on top 3-1 after the first inning of play.
It was all Cougars from that point on. UMC would go 1-2-3 in the top of the second, and USF would get three straight hits in the bottom of the inning scoring two more runs to take a 5-1 lead. A few batters later, a 2-out double would bring two more runs in to score and USF had extended their lead to 7-1 by the time the second inning was over.
After another 1-2-3 inning for UMC, USF would add three more runs in the bottom of the third inning to go up 10-1. The Golden Eagles would be held scoreless in the top of the fourth, and the Cougars once again struck for more runs in the bottom of the frame. They would put up three more runs on three hits and take a 13-1 lead after four innings of play.
UMC would need to score three runs in the top of the fifth inning to keep the game alive. Alyssa Stillman (Jr. Hortonville, Wis.) would lead off the inning with a double, and Jenna Parfeniuk (So. Winnipeg, Manitoba) would follow it up with a single putting runners on first and third base and nobody out. The Cougars would get the next two UMC hitters out, bringing Peterson to plate. Peterson would deliver with a double scoring Stillman and Parfeniuk, making it 13-3 USF. The Golden Eagles would still need one more run to keep the game going, and unfortunately, they wouldn’t get it, and USF would win the game 13-3 in five innings due to the run rule.
UMC ends its season with a final record of 15-40 and 6-24 in the NSIC. The Golden Eagles will be losing Hannah Macias (Sr. West Covina, CA.), Leah Macias (Sr. West Covina, CA.), Jordan Peterson (Sr. Lakeville, Minn.), Kamryn Frisk (Sr. Anchorage, AK.), and Alyssa Stillman (Jr. Hortonville, Wis.) from their team going into next season.
USF finishes the regular season with a record of 23-23 and 11-14 in the NSIC. They will now compete in the NSIC Softball Conference Tournament this upcoming weekend.
GAME TWO BOX SCORE, CLICK HERE
For UMC-
Shaelyn Grant 2 for 2, rbi
Jordan Peterson 1 for 3, 2 rbi
Alyssa Stillman 1 for 2, run
Jenna Parfeniuk 1 for 2, run
Alina Avalos 1 for 3, run
| Game 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| UMC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | – | – | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| USF | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | – | – | 13 | 14 | 0 |
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
| Kamryn Frisk- UMC (L, 1-6) | 2.1 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Evie Stuck- UMC | 0.2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Annjelica Moreno-Engelbrecht- UMC | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Kait Van Der Zwaag- USF- (W, 7-6) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Kennedy Thomas- USF | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
