ST. PAUL, Minn.- The University of Northwestern Softball team hosted Crown for a doubleheader to close out the regular season on Monday. The Eagles dropped the first game 11-6, but bounced back in game two winning 8-0.
Game One
Crown jumped out to an early lead and the Eagles were fighting an uphill battle from the very beginning of the first game. Crown had a couple of RBI singles in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. The Storm would add another run in the second inning by taking a bases loaded walk. The third inning was the biggest of the day for the Storm as they added four more runs to their lead thanks to a couple of bases loaded singles. Crown led 8-0 after three innings.
In the fourth inning, the Eagles began to mount a comeback. It all began in the top of the fourth when the Eagles found a way to keep the Crown offense scoreless for the first time in the game. In the bottom of the fourth, after being shutout to that point, the Eagles were finally able to crack the scoreboard with a
Grace Bentley (Omaha, Neb./Wheaton College) sacrifice fly.
In the fifth inning, the Eagles' offense broke out in a big way. It all started with a
Mikayla Gee (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) bunt single. There was an error on the play that allowed
Maggie Oehlerking (Farmington, Minn./Farmington) to score.
Jadyn Iverson (West Fargo, N.D./West Fargo) would then cause the Eagles' dugout to explode with a three run homerun to left centerfield. Iverson's homerun got the Eagles back into the game, and the fifth inning would not come to an end until after
Megan Lundt (Frisco, Texas/Central Methodist) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. The Eagles had cut the Storm lead to two, now trailing 8-6.
Unfortunately for the home fans, the Eagles' comeback would end there. The Storm pitching staff would not allow another run and the Storm offense would add three more runs in the seventh inning. The game ended with the Storm winning, 11-6.
Game Two
The Eagles bounced back nicely in the second and final game of the doubleheader, and it was thanks to explosive offense and dominant pitching.
The Eagles' got their offense going from the jump in game two by scoring three first inning runs.
Telma Roesler (Hastings, Minn./Crown College) singled to score
Sydney Lane (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian), and then a
Grace Bentley (Omaha, Neb./Wheaton College) single scored Roesler along with
Briggs Carlson (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West).
In the third inning, the Eagles scored four runs and it was the Roesler/Bentley duo getting it done again for UNW. Roesler hit another RBI single to score
Sydney Lane (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian) once again.
Grace Bentley (Omaha, Neb./Wheaton College) then came up to the plate with a couple of runners on base and hit a three run homerun. This was the second homerun of the season for Bentley and the Eagles led 7-0.
In the fifth inning, the Eagles won in "walkoff" fashion as
Ally Ehnstrom (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) hit a single to score
Telma Roesler (Hastings, Minn./Crown College). The run would give the Eagles an eight run lead and ended the game in the fifth inning. The Eagles won 8-0.
Briggs Carlson (North Mankato, Minn./Mankato West) was fantastic in the circle for the Eagles. Carlson was nearly untouchable for the Eagles as she pitched five innings and only gave up one hit. Carlson had four strikeouts in the shutout as she picked up her 12
th win of the season.
Up Next
The doubleheader against Crown marked the final games of the regular season for the Eagles and was the last time the Eagles will play at Reynolds Field in the 2022 campaign. The Eagles will now enter the 2022 UMAC Postseason Tournament as they have earned the two seed with a 17-4 UMAC record. The Eagles will open up the tournament by playing #3 Bethany Lutheran on Thursday at 1:00 PM. The entire tournament be hosted by the #1 seed UW-Superior who will play #4 Minnesota-Morris in the first round.
