NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Cougars began the day with a 9-0 shutout versus Maine-Presque Isle but were unable to follow that performance and fell 7-4 to Gwynedd Mercy University. With the outcome of today's games, the Cougars are now 3-5 on the season.

Minnesota Morris 9, Maine-Presque Isle 0 (5 innings)
The Cougars got things rolling early in the game with a run from Sierra Stevens in the first inning. This was quickly followed by a run from Alice Wilkinson on a passed ball to put the Cougars up 2-0 to end the first. 

After Skyla Bristol struck out the side in the top of the second inning, Minnesota Morris played small ball to begin a two-out rally that ended with a RBI single from Bristol that brought Stevens in for a 3-0 lead. Bristol and Wilkinson then worked a double steal to perfection, with Wilkinson coming home and making it 4-0.

Bristol continued to flummox UMPI hitters through the third and fourth innings and the Cougar bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth to push the game out of reach. Tori Nichols started with a sacrifice fly RBI to score Stevens and Mary Landherr followed with a RBI single to bring Wilkinson for a 6-0 edge. Errors played a part in the next three Cougar runs as Landherr, Alyssa Thornton, and Olivia Losee all scored to make it 9-0.

Befitting yet another dominant pitching performance, Bristol struck out the final two Owl hitters to finish with 11 strikeouts on the day in a two-hitter to improve to 3-0 on the season.

Gwynedd Mercy 7, Minnesota Morris 4
The Cougars started their second game of the day with three scoreless innings while Gwynedd Mercy managed to scrape a run across in each of its first three trips to the plate. 

Things picked up for Minnesota Morris in the fourth inning when Wilkinson scored off a hit from Nichols. Next up, Bristol was brought home off a single from Landherr to pull the Cougars within a run at 3-2. 

The Cougars were unable to bring anyone home again until the top of the seventh inning, but the Griffins reestablished a healthy lead by striking three times in the fifth and tacking on one more in the sixth to make it 7-2. In the top of the seventh, Minnesota Morris strung together three hits including a Bristol single that scored Stevens and Anna Athey before Gwynedd Mercy retired the side and ended the contest.

At the conclusion of today's games, the Cougars now have 11 games to play in North Myrtle Beach. The action will pick up again tomorrow at 8:00 AM (9:00 AM EDT) when the Cougars take on Mansfield University. The Cougars will finish up the day taking on William Peace University at 12:00 PM (1:00 PM EDT).