Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

DULUTH, Minn. – Just when things were looking pretty for the Northwestern softball team, the day took a turn and started to go downhill as the Eagles lost both games of a split doubleheader against Northland College and the College of St. Scholastica.

In UNW's first game of the day against the LumberJills from Northland, the Eagles scored first with a two-run fourth inning. Morgan Pfaff (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove)'s two-run double to left field put Northwestern on the board as the sophomore's hit scored both Jennifer Ankrom (New Hampton, Iowa/New Hampton) and Megan Threlkeld (Burnsville, Minn./Burnsville).

Northland came right back with a three-run effort in the top of the fifth frame as Cassie Baumgarten's home run over the right field fence against UNW pitcher Lauren Silbernick (Osakis, Minn./Osakis) put the LumberJills in front by a run. Northwestern responded with a solid bottom half of the inning, scoring four runs of its own to reclaim the edge. Kaylee Forcier (Watkins, Minn./Eden Valley Watkins) led off the Eagles' at-bat with a solo home run of her own. Three batters later, Ankrom's single through the left side brought in Emily Geurkink (Baldwin, Wis./Baldwin-Woodville) before an Erin Kleinjan (Avon, Minn./Holdingford) single allowed Threlkeld to score again, giving UNW a one-run lead. Maddie Pierro (Andover, Minn./Legacy) got in on the action with a single of her own, scoring Ankrom from third in the process to give Northwestern a comfortable three-run margin heading into the seventh inning after a scoreless sixth.

Instead of cruising to the team's 14th victory of the year, Silbernick was battered in the final inning by the LumberJill hitters while a pair of Eagles errors assisted in the process. Northland already had one run in when Brigid Riena's single with the bases loaded scored the tying run. The LumberJills didn't stop there though, using a UNW defensive gaffe and three more hits, two of which went for extra bases, to wrap up a very successful eight-run frame.

Pfaff doubled to center field in her seventh inning at-bat, but other than that, it was three outs  for the Eagles in a disappointing 11-6 loss.

In seven innings of work, Silbernick was charged for seven earned runs while being peppered for 15 hits.

Offensively, Pfaff was one of three Northwestern players to record multiple hits. Northland produced five doubles from the other dugout on its way to a 15-hit game.

Unfortunately for the Eagles, things continued to go south in an 8-0, five-inning loss to St. Scholastica.

The Saints set the tone with a four-run first inning and went from there, scoring at least one run in all but the second frame while holding the Eagles to a mere two hits. St. Scholastica's Kara Warren hit two home runs off of UNW pitcher Kaia Larson (Ramsey, Minn./Meadow Creek) to help her team earn the victory.

Larson's four innings included seven earned runs with no strikeouts and one walk against 22 batters faced. Nine of the 12 outs recorded by the Eagles defense came through the air.

Kelsey Stoltman (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) and Pierro were the lone Northwestern players to get a hit off of the Saints' Chrisi Mizera, with the Eagles striking out eight times.

Now 13-18 overall, UNW (9-7 UMAC) will get another shot at both Northland and St. Scholastica within a week's time. The Eagles are scheduled to face the LumberJills in a conference doubleheader on Saturday, April 26 in Ashland, Wis. before Northwestern hosts the Saints on April 29 in Minneapolis.