MANKATO, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris softball team made a late comeback but fell to the University of Wisconsin-Superior in the opening contest of the 2024 UMAC Tournament. With the loss, the Cougars sink to 28-13 overall on the season while UW-Superior goes to 24-13.

Minnesota Morris got off to a rocky start in the top of the first inning as the first three UW-Superior hitters either walked or were hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. The Yellowjackets would go on to score three runs in the inning, with two of those coming on sacrifice flies.

A Cougar error in the second inning helped open the door for two more UW-Superior runs and a two-out double from Zoe Thomson in the fourth inning increased the Yellowjacket lead to 6-0.

Base hits from Olivia Losee and Anna Athey started off the bottom of the fifth for Minnesota Morris and a ball off the bat of Sierra Stevens was misplayed at shortstop to load the bases. Alice Wilkinson was then robbed on a hard-hit grounder up the middle and drove in a run despite the fielder's choice out at second for the first Cougar run. After a walk to Mary Landherr loaded the bases, Alyssa Thornton had a single up the middle that drove in two and cut the lead in half at 6-3. 

Though Olivia Diver led off the bottom of the sixth with a single, the Cougars were unable to cut further into the UW-Superior lead. In the team's final turn at the plate, Kendra Schmitz led off with a single and Skyla Bristol hit a two-out double to the wall to drive in Wilkinson, making it 6-4. With the tying run at the plate, UW-Superior was able to get out of the jam by getting Tori Nichols to ground out to second to close out the win.

Bristol (11-4) was tagged with the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) in the first two innings. Thornton threw the final 5.0 innings and gave up just one run. 

It will be win or go home the rest of the weekend for Minnesota Morris, starting tomorrow at approximately 3:30 p.m. when the Cougars face the University of Northwestern in an elimination game. If Minnesota Morris wins that game, they will be immediately back in action at approximately 6 p.m. to face the losing team from tomorrow's 1 p.m. contest between UW-Superior and Bethany Lutheran College.