Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

VADNAIS HEIGHTS, Minn. – The Northwestern softball team was back at the Vadnais Heights Sports Center for Day 2 of the UMAC Crossover event, taking on the University of Minnesota Morris and Martin Luther College in the friendly confines of the facility's big white bubble roof. The Eagles beat the Cougars from Morris by an 11-4 account before dropping an 8-1 loss to the Knights.

Both Northwestern and Minnesota Morris snuck a run through in the first inning, setting up what would be a total of 14 runs scored throughout the entire seven-inning contest. UNW brought runs across home plate in all but two of those innings. Erin Kleinjan (Avon, Minn./Holdingford)'s ground rule double that scored Kelsey Stoltman (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View) was the first of several big hits for Northwestern. Stoltman herself used a two-RBI single to bring both Ashley Krantz (Andover, Minn./Andover) and Ellen Larkin (Excelsior, Minn./Southwest Christian) around, helping the Eagles lead 3-1 after two frames.

UNW gave itself some breathing room in the third despite recording just one official hit in the inning. That hit was a big one though, as Kaylee Forcier (Watkins, Minn./Eden Valley Watkins) hit a three-run bomb over the left field fence to score both Maddie Pierro (Andover, Minn./Legacy) and Larkin. Jen Ankrom had come home on a Minnesota Morris error before Forcier's at-bat to account for what was a 7-1 Eagles lead at the end of Northwestern's time at the plate.

The Cougars answered with single runs in both the third and fourth frames as Morris runners took advantage of an RBI single and a sacrifice fly to cut the edge to 7-3.

Northwestern responded with a big three-run fifth inning, taking advantage of four hits to boost the lead back to a near-eight-run-rule margin. Pierro singled to score Bailey Klingbeil (Frost, Minn./United Central) before Emily Guerkink won a lengthy battle with the pitcher, walking with the bases loaded to bring Morgan Pfaff (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) home.
Neither team scored in the sixth frame, sending the Eagles into the seventh with a solid 10-3 advantage on the scoreboard. Forcier advanced one base at a time after hitting a single before scoring Norhtwestern's 11th and final run on a Cougars error that allowed Thelkeld to reach first.

Morris scored one more run before the end of the game after stringing three hits together to account for the 11-4 final score.

Stoltman, Kleinjan and Forcier all had two hits with Foricer and Stoltman combining for five RBI. Lauren Silbernick (Osakis, Minn./Osakis) went all seven innings from the pitcher's rubber, taking credit for three earned runs on 11 hits while picking up her third victory of the 2014 season.

The offense that fans witnessed in the Eagles' first game of the day wasn't as prevalent for UNW against Martin Luther. The Eagles were out-hit 12-7 by the Knights while missing on out on a couple prime opportunities.

One of those opportunities came in the first inning, when the Eagles left the bases loaded with two outs to give. Facing a 1-0 early deficit, Stoltman used a leadoff double to eventually score on Ankrom's RBI single through the left side. With runners on first and second, Kleinjan hit a long single that bounced off the right field fence, but Threlkeld was held at third while Ankrom stayed at second before a Pfaff strikeout and Pierro's groundout ended Northwestern's scoring chances that round.

Neither of the two teams scored in the second, but the Eagles had a chance to bring a run home in the third. After leading off the inning with a single, Guerkink earned second on a sacrifice bunt by Threlkeld before taking third on a passed ball. Martin Luther catcher Andrea Biedenbender had difficulty with another pitch, and Guerkink made a dash for home, originally being called safe before the home plate umpire ruled the freshman out to end the inning as UNW came up empty.

Martin Luther started to hit Northwestern pitcher Kaia Larson (Ramsey, Minn./Meadow Creek) fairly hard in the fourth frame, using four hits to score the same number of runs, boosting the Knights' lead to 6-1. With the Eagles not being able to answer offensively in the bottom half of the inning, UNW turned to Lauren Silbernick (Osakis, Minn./Osakis) to relieve Larson in the circle.

After a scoreless fifth, the Knights used consecutive multiple-base hits to add two runs to their tally, upping the margin to a seven-run difference at 8-1. The Eagles weren't able to bring any runs through the rest of the way out, and UNW finished the weekend with a loss.

Larson was charged with the loss, allowing six runs from 10 hits in four innings of work. Martin Luther posted just two hits the rest of the way out against Silbernick. At the plate, Larkin was the only Northwestern player to collect more than one hit, while Ankrom had the team's lone RBI.

Now 6-11 on the year, Northwestern is scheduled to face the College of St. Scholastica in a UMAC doubleheader on Tuesday, April 8, but the original 3 p.m. first pitch is highly doubtful, at least on the Eagles' home turf at Reynolds Field, meaning that the twin bill could be played in a local domed facility. Stay tuned to unweagles.com for Tuesday's details as they become available.