Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
ST. PAUL – The Northwestern College softball team split an afternoon doubleheader with the University of Minnesota, Morris on Friday. The Eagles won Game 1 10-7 before losing the second contest 6-5.
After the Cougars led off with a four-run inning to start the first game, the Eagles roared back with an eight-run third inning that included eight hits. Jenny Kortus (Milaca, Minn./Milaca) (Milaca, Minn./Milaca), Ashley Weimer (Hill City, Minn./Hill City) (Hill City, Minn./Hill City), Jenna Ruby (Long Prairie, Minn./Long Prairie) (Long Prairie, Minn./Long Prairie), Kelsey Hanson (St. Francis, Minn./St. Francis) (St. Francis, Minn./St. Francis) and Kristie Bicket (Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton Township) (Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton) all recorded RBIs in the frame to put NWC up 8-5.
Each team traded two runs between the fourth and fifth innings, as the Eagles preserved the 10-7 win.
Northwestern continued its offensive production in Game 2, but crucial errors paved the way for Morris to post a comeback victory in the seventh inning.
After Morris led off once again with a run in the first, Northwestern responded with two runs of its own after Lauren August (Maple Plain, Minn./West Lutheran) (Maple Plain, Minn./West Lutheran) singled to left field. The Cougars and Eagles traded runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Kortus and Shelly MacKinnon (Palatine, Ill./Fremd) (Palatine, Ill./Fremd) each hit solo home runs to keep NWC in the game, but Morris posted timely runs to win the contest 6-5.
Kortus finished the day 5-8 at the plate to go with three RBI and three runs scored. Ruby, Rhonda Morgan (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek) (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek) and Amanda Rodgers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) all had 2-4 performances in at least one of the games.
Hanson pitched the first game from the circle, giving up four earned runs on seven hits. Rodgers yielded four earned runs in the second game on 11 hits.
Northwestern (7-15 overall, 3-2 UMAC) will hit the road on Monday to begin its trek of four doubleheaders on the road next week. Monday's contest is a make-up date versus the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minn. (3 p.m. start time), while the Eagles will travel to Crown College, Martin Luther College, and Bethany Lutheran College on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
