MORRIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris softball team split its UMAC doubleheader with the University of Northwestern on Wednesday afternoon. After pulling off a comeback win over the Eagles, 4-3, in the first game of the day, Northwestern returned the favor by rallying back from a 5-0 deficit to snatch a 6-5 win. The victory for the Eagles halted the UMN Morris winning streak at 18 games and puts the Cougars at 24-10 (11-1 UMAC) on the season.

Minnesota Morris will wrap up its home stand this weekend with Bethany Lutheran College coming to town in a clash of the top two teams in the UMAC standings. The three-game series begins with a single contest on Friday night starting at 5:30 p.m.

Game 1: Minnesota Morris 4, Northwestern 3
Trailing, 3-0, heading into the bottom of the sixth, Minnesota Morris shocked Northwestern with a four-run inning and then finished things off in the seventh to take the opening game of the day. Morgan Wilhelm (2-3) pitched the final 3.0 innings to get the win for the Cougars after Alyssa Thornton threw the opening 4.0 innings.

The Minnesota Morris offense hadn't managed much against Northwestern starter Maddie Bottineau for the first five innings, going down in order twice and leaving four runners aboard. The Eagles put two runs on the board in the third inning and then added onto the lead in the top of the sixth on a Cougar error to make it 3-0.

With the Minnesota Morris winning streak just six outs away from snapping, the Cougars got to work. Alice Wilkinson worked a lead-off walk and Mary Landherr followed with a single. After Wilhelm sacrificed the runners into scoring position, Skyla Bristol singled up the middle to bring both Wilkinson and Landherr home to make it 3-2. With pinch-runner Anna Baumann occupying first, Tori Nichols doubled to deep center to put two more runners in scoring position. Olivia Diver then singled in the tying run and Olivia Losee followed with a RBI double that scored pinch-runner Faith Hamm to give the Cougars a 4-3 advantage.

In the seventh, Kate Beer kept the Eagles alive with a two-out single, but the game ended on a lineout to Nichols at third to give Minnesota Morris its 18th straight victory.

Landherr, Bristol, Diver, and Losee all collected two hits apiece in the game for the Cougars.

Game 2: Northwestern 6, Minnesota Morris 5
All five Minnesota Morris runs came in the bottom of the first inning and it looked as though another sweep might be in the offing until Northwestern chipped away at the Cougar lead in the middle innings and took command with a three-run sixth that gave the Eagles the lead for good.

Six hits – including a bases-clearing double from Olivia Diver – helped Minnesota Morris build the 5-0 margin in the first. Landherr and Losee also had RBIs in the frame for the Cougars.

Athena Grimley kept Northwestern off the board in the first two innings, but the Eagles plated two in the third and one in the fourth to make it a 5-3 contest. After a rocky start to the game, Northwestern starter Ireland Strubbe settled in and retired the final 15 Cougar hitters that she faced. That kept the visitors in striking distance and it all came together for them in the top of the sixth.

Consecutive doubles from Megan Lundt and Jadyn Iverson to lead off the sixth inning brought the Eagles back within a run. After Grimley was lifted from the game, Bristol came on in relief but was unable to keep the tying run from making it home. With two down, an Ally Ehnstrom single brought in the go-ahead run to put Northwestern ahead for the first time in the game.

Bristol (11-2) took the loss, striking out four in her 2.0 innings of relief. Grimley finished with four strikeouts in 5.0 innings, ending with a no-decision.