Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

University of Northwestern Athletics

The Official Website of the University of Northwestern Eagles

Slideshow

Softball

Eagles can't hold on against Minnesota-Morris

Box Score

DULUTH, Minn. -- Northwestern College suffered what could be a crucial loss in its first game of the weekend's UMAC Crossover Tournament, falling to the University of Minnesota, Morris 17-15. The Eagles led by four runs heading into the sixth inning, but an eight-run frame in the top of the sixth helped Morris leap over NWC in the conference standings for the time being.

Offense wasn't hard to come by in Friday's game, as the two teams combined for 35 hits. After Morris scored three runs in the first inning, Northwestern posted two runs of their own in the bottom half of the frame when Jenna Ruby (Long Prairie, Minn./Long Prairie) (Long Prairie, Minn./Long Prairie-Grey Eagle) and Abbey Eagen (Forest Lake, Minn./Forest Lake) recorded RBI hits. The Cougars tacked on four more runs to take a 7-3 lead in the third inning. Once again, the Eagles responded with runs: Briana Rodgers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) doubled to center field to score Alyssa Borgstrom (Amery, Wis./Amery) (Amery, Wis./Amery). Amanda Rodgers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) followed with an RBI double, scoring her sister. Eagen, the Eagles' next batter, tallied her second RBI of the day on a single down the left field line.

NWC took its first lead of the game in the fourth inning as five runs gave the Eagles a 10-7 advantage. After Borgstrom singled to score Kristin Sigurdsen (Barron, Wis./Barron) (Barron, Wis./Barron), Briana Rodgers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello) singled to score Kristie Bicket (Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton Township) (Zion, Ill./Zion-Benton Township). Northwestern continued to score more runs in the inning, most of which were unearned due to three Morris errors. The Cougars committed five mistakes in the game.

Morris scored two runs in the fifth followed by a Jenna Ruby (Long Prairie, Minn./Long Prairie) double to keep the Eagles ahead 11-9. NWC's lead went to shambles in the sixth when the Cougars scored eight runs off of six hits and an error. The Eagles scored a combined four runs in the sixth and seventh frames, but it wasn't enough as Morris held on for a two-run victory.

Three pitchers gave it a go in the circle for Northwestern including Amanda Rodgers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello), Ashley Olson (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd) (Baxter, Minn./Brainerd) and Kelsey Timm (Iowa Falls, Iowa/Iowa Falls-Aiden) (Iowa Falls, Iowa/Iowa Falls-Alden). Olson took the loss after giving up 10 runs (seven earned) in two and one-third innings. Timm followed with a solid two-inning performance that resulted in just one hit.

Northwestern slips to 17-15 overall and 10-6 in UMAC play with the loss. The Eagles will take to the field again on Saturday, when they play Martin Luther College and Bethany Lutheran College in Day 2 of the crossover tournament. Those games will be back-to-back, with the first beginning at 12 p.m. in Duluth, Minn.

Print Friendly Version