Box Score

ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. – Northwestern College blew out Crown College 11-1 in both teams' UMAC opener on Monday afternoon. For Crown, it was their first game of the entire 2012 season, and the Eagles ended the game with a 10-run advantage after five innings.

Kelsey Timm (Iowa Falls, Iowa/Iowa Falls-Aiden) allowed just three hits over five innings of work, striking out 10 Storm batters. Meanwhile, the Eagles scored at least three runs in three different innings to get to 11 for the game.

NWC's patience at the plate paid off from the get-go. Kelsey Stoltman (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) earned a leadoff walk before Kristin Sigurdsen (Barron, Wis./Barron) hit a bunt single to move Stoltman to second. Following a double steal, both Stoltman and Sigurdsen scored on a passed ball. Briana Rodgers (Monticello, Minn./Monticello), who walked in her at bat, scored on another passed ball, marking the start of a rather long game.

The Eagles scored three runs again in the third, this time courtesy of their bats. Kelsey Timm (Iowa Falls, Iowa/Iowa Falls-Aiden) and Erin Wankerl (Willmar, Minn./Willmar) reached base on back-to-back singles before scoring on RBI hits from Erin Kleinjan (Avon, Minn./Holdingford) and Stoltman. Sigurdsen then recorded an RBI hit of her own, scoring Kleinjan on a single to left field.

Crown scored its lone run of the game in the fourth inning, but not until after Northwestern had scored five runs in the top of the frame. One run had already scored for the Eagles before anyone put a ball into play courtesy of walks, hit batters and wild pitches. Stoltman and Sigurdsen then punched their second RBIs of the game with consecutive singles. Rodgers singled up the middle to bring Kleinjan home before Lauren Walker (Shoreview, Minn./Concordia Academy) hit a two-RBI single to end the Eagles' scoring.

Northwestern tallied 10 hits in the game, compared to Crown's three.

Now 6-10 overall on the season, the Eagles start their UMAC slate with a 1-0 record. Northwestern will be back on the diamond right away on Tuesday as the Eagles head east to Menomonie, Wis. to face Wisconsin-Stout at 4 p.m.