Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

DULUTH, Minn. – The College of St. Scholastica handed Northwestern a pair of losses in UMAC softball action on Monday, dealing the Eagles a blow as they seek to retain their 2008 conference title. St. Scholastica won Game 1 5-0 before claiming a 9-1 victory in Game 2.

NWC's Shelly MacKinnon (Palatine, Ill./Fremd) (Palatine, Ill./Fremd) singled in the second inning of the first contest to record the Eagles only hit of the first game. Meanwhile, the Saints scattered eight hits and four earned runs against pitcher Kelsey Hanson (St. Francis, Minn./St. Francis) (St. Francis, Minn./St. Francis).

Although the Eagles scored a run in the second game, things didn't get much better as NWC was a victim of the eight-run rule after five innings of play. St. Scholastica, who led 1-0 after the first inning, scored seven runs in the second frame on four hits and three Northwestern errors to increase its led to 8-0.

Northwestern answered with a run in the top of the third inning, as Cindy Frisch (Sumner, Iowa/Sumner-Fredericksburg) (Sumner, Iowa/Sumner-Fredricksburg) scored on a single by Rhonda Morgan (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek) (Andover, Minn./Meadow Creek). After the Saints followed with a run of their own in the bottom half of the inning, the Eagles couldn't break the eight-run gap before time ran out, and the Saints capped off the day with a 9-1 win.

Amanda Rodgers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) pitched into the second inning for NWC before yielding the circle to Ashley Olson (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd) (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd). Olson pitched three innings of work, giving up two runs on four hits.

Following the losses, Northwestern falls to 7-17 (3-4 UMAC) on the season while St. Scholastica improves to 13-10 and 8-0 in UMAC play. The Eagles will resume their schedule on Wednesday, when they travel to Crown College for a 3 p.m. doubleheader.