MORRIS, Minn.- Typically, fans of Upper Midwest Athletic Conference softball are required to wait until the weekend to cheer on their favorite UMAC squad. Due to a postponement earlier in the season, spectators were given a midweek treat on Tuesday. The University of Northwestern Eagles traveled to take on the Minnesota-Morris Cougars.
Tuesday marked the first of a three game set between the Eagles and the Cougars with the remaining two games taking place on Wednesday. This makeup series between UNW and UMM isn't just a midweek treat for fans, it also happens to be a matchup between two teams that are fighting for first place in the conference standings.
As the 2024 softball season begins to wind down (how is it possible that we are already nearing the end of the season? Time flies when you're having fun…) Northwestern and Morris are both in the top half of the UMAC standings. Entering this midweek series, Minnesota-Morris had sole possession of first place and hadn't lost a conference game at 9-0. Northwestern was right behind them at 7-2 in UMAC play. In the opening game of the series, Morris' undefeated ways continued and they remain the only undefeated team in the conference. The Eagles dropped a tight game to the Cougars, 4-3.
Minnesota-Morris, who missed the UMAC Postseason Tournament a year ago, has used an improved pitching staff as the main key to their resurgence. That theme continued in the early stages of Tuesday's contest. UNW was held scoreless through the first four innings.
Emma Heffron (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian) was the Eagles' starting pitcher and she was matching the Morris' starting pitcher out for out through the first three innings. Heffron struck out the side in the second inning and set the Cougars down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the third inning.
Behind the strong pitching performance of Heffron, the Eagles were locked in a scoreless tie as the game moved into the home half of the fourth inning. The Cougars used a walk, a double, and a sacrifice fly ball to score their first run of the game. Another walk and a single loaded the bases. A walk brought home another run and the Eagles trailed 2-0. With the bases loaded and only one out, UNW's defense made a big play that looked as if it would limit the damage in the fourth. A groundball was hit to second base where
Mikayla Gee (Rochester, Minn./John Marshall) was playing for the Eagles. She fielded the grounder and threw a dart to her catcher
Megan Lundt (Frisco, Texas/Lone Star). Lundt caught the ball with her foot on home plate for the force out to cut down a run. The bases were loaded but now there were two outs and the Eagles needed one more out to hold the Cougars to two runs in the frame. That out didn't come. Instead, UMM collected a two out, two run single to take a 4-0 lead.
Now trailing by four runs to the conference's first place team, the Eagles' nationally ranked offense went to work. UNW cut their deficit in half by scoring a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Gee, after making a big impact in the field, drew a leadoff walk to kick start the Eagles' offense. She stole second base before
Sydney Lane (Altoona, Iowa/Grand View Christian) drilled a triple. Gee came around to score the first run of the game for the visitors. The next two Eagles were retired and Lane wasn't able to move off of third base. Lane was in danger of being stranded at third base but the Eagles' team leader in RBIs was stepping to the plate.
Jadyn Iverson (West Fargo, N.D./West Fargo) picked up a clutch, two out single to score Lane and add to her RBI total. The scoreboard now read 4-2 in favor of the Cougars.
After giving up some runs in the last half inning, Heffron went back to her dominant ways in the bottom of the fifth. She induced three groundballs and Morris went down scoreless in the fifth.
Trailing by two runs,
Maddie Bottineau (Andover, Minn./Andover) led off for the Eagles in the sixth. She drew a walk and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by
Riley Summers (Fontana, Wis./Big Foot).
Ally Ehnstrom (Aitkin, Minn./Aitkin) entered the game as a pinch hitter and delivered a single. With runners on first and third and only one out, the Eagles had a golden opportunity to erase their two run deficit. UNW would not be able to find that big, run scoring hit and the runners were stranded on the corners.
In the bottom of the sixth, it was imperative that the Eagles keep their deficit at two runs. The Cougars' leadoff batter singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. The next Cougar singled and swiped second base. With runners on second and third and only one out, Bottineau came out of the bullpen and into the circle. If the first year Eagle was nervous about pitching in a big spot in an important game, she certainly didn't show it. She induced a groundball hit to
Grace Bentley (Omaha, Neb./Marian) at shortstop; who made a nice play to look the runner back to third base before throwing the runner out at first. Bottineau ended the inning with a cold-blooded, swinging strikeout. The game remained 4-2.
Down to their final three outs and trailing by two, UNW refused to quit in the top of the seventh.
Megan Lundt (Frisco, Texas/Lone Star) got on base with a one out single.
Emma Morrissey (Wasilla, Alas./Colony) took Lundt's spot as a pinch runner and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Iverson drew a walk in the next at bat. The next batter hit a fly ball to right field that was caught and Morrissey scampered to third base on the play. That ended up being an important play because a wild pitch allowed her to score and moved Iverson to second base. The Eagles had one out remaining, trailed by one, and had the tying run on second base. That game tying hit eluded the Eagles once again and their impressive comeback bid fell just short. Morris won the game 4-3.
The Eagles had six hits in the game and their patience at the plate paid dividends as they drew seven walks as a team.
Jadyn Iverson (West Fargo, N.D./West Fargo) was 2-3, drew a walk, and had an RBI.
If game one was any indication, this series is going to be epic. Games two and three are happening tomorrow in Morris and first pitch for game two is scheduled for 12:00 PM.
