MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris softball team wrapped up its 2021 season with a split of a UMAC doubleheader against the University of Northwestern, winning the first game on a walk-off in the eighth, 4-3, before falling by a score of 9-1 in game two of the afternoon.
The Cougars end the 2021 campaign with an overall record of 10-22 and a 6-10 record in the UMAC.
Game One: Minnesota Morris 4, Northwestern 3 (8 innings)
Minnesota Morris built a 2-0 lead early in the first game of the day, only to see Northwestern rally with single runs in the sixth and seventh to force extras before taking the lead with a run in the eighth. Down to their last at-bat, the Cougars roared to life with two runs to win it.
Mollie Dummer (7-10) went the whole way and struck out seven while allowing only two earned runs.
UMN Morris went on top in the first inning when
Lydia Mann led off the inning with a triple and scored on a double by
Autumn Theis. After leaving the bases loaded for UNW in the top of the third, the Cougars added to their lead with a lead-off double from
Tori Nichols-Kraft and a two-out single from
Eleanore Steinhouse to drive her in.
Northwestern rallied late, cutting its deficit in half with a sacrifice fly in the sixth and then knotting the score with an RBI single in the seventh. A Nichols-Kraft triple in the seventh was wasted by the Cougars and the game headed to extras. There, the Eagles took their first lead of the game with another RBI single, going on top, 3-2.
Down to their final turn at the dish, the Cougars won it in dramatic fashion as Steinhouse led off the eighth with a single and then went to third on a
Jasmine Jensen single and an error with one out. With two down, Mann walked to load the bases and Diver then delivered a single down the left field line that brought Steinhouse and Jensen around to score.
In a 13-hit effort for the Cougars, Nichols-Kraft, Theis, Steinhouse, Dummer, and
Haley Wollschlager all had two hits apiece.
Game Two: Northwestern 9, Minnesota Morris 1 (5 innings)
Things were less dramatic in game two as Briggs Carlson allowed only three hits in 5.0 innings and Northwestern built a 9-0 lead after its third turn at the plate. The Cougars committed four errors in those first three innings and the Eagles took advantage, scoring four unearned runs.
Mann, Nichols-Kraft, and Jensen had the three hits in the game for Minnesota Morris. Two of those came in the third when Mann led off with a single, went to second on a wild pitch and then to third on a groundout from Diver before scoring on a Nichols-Kraft single. Northwestern wasn't troubled after that, with only one runner reaching base for the Cougars via an error.
Theis took the loss in game two, giving up five runs (four earned) in 2.0 innings. She was relieved by Nichols-Kraft, who threw 2.0 innings and allowed four runs (only one earned). Wollschlager pitched the fifth inning and kept the Eagles off the board.
