LA VERNE, Calif. – The University of Minnesota Morris softball team split its doubleheader with the University of La Verne, winning game one 3-2 before falling in game two 19-1 Tuesday in La Verne, Calif.
 
GAME 1
The Cougars started the game with a pair of base runners, with singles from GingerAnn Lucas and Alyssa Thornton. Mary Landherr reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners with two outs. Jill Anderson was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but the Cougars left them loaded.
 
La Verne took the lead in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs. The Cougars had a chance to draw level in the top of the third. Thornton was hit by a pitch, then Landherr doubled to put two runners in scoring position. UMM left both runners stranded.
 
Lucas reached second on an error in the fifth as the leadoff batter. Landherr followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Faith Hamm entered as a pinch runner and stole second. Minnesota Morris got on the board with an Anderson sacrifice fly to right field and moved Hamm to third.
 
Trailing by one, Olivia Losee led off the seventh with a base hit up the middle and then stole second to get into scoring position. Lucas grounded out to the pitcher but advanced Losee to third. Thornton drew a walk, followed by Landherr hitting an RBI double to tie the game at 2-2. Anderson followed with a roller up the left field line, scoring another run to give UMM the lead. Kenra Schmitz drew a walk to load the bases with only one out. Minnesota Morris finished the top of the seventh up 3-2. The Panthers had the winning run at second base, but a flyout to center field ended the game as Minnesota Morris won 3-2.
 
The Cougars recorded nine hits in the win, with Landherr recording three. Anderson led the team with two RBIs, and Landherr had the other. Schmitz and Thornton each drew walks in the contest. In the circle, Thornton earned the win, pitching the full seven innings. She struck out two batters, walked two, and gave up five hits and two earned runs. Thornton pitched two one-two-three innings.
 
GAME 2
The Panthers took an early lead, scoring five runs in the first inning. La Verne continued to grow the lead, scoring again in the following inning. Taylor Johnson had the first UMM hit in the third with a single. Lucas followed by getting hit by a pitch, though the Cougars remained scoreless after the third.
 
Minnesota Morris started to build some momentum in the fourth inning. Thornton began the inning with a leadoff walk, with Landherr following. Schmitz loaded the bases before the first out of the inning. Audrey Olson drove in one run with a single, but the scoring stopped there for UMM. The Panthers went on to take game two 19-1.
 
The Cougars had five hits in game two, all from different student-athletes: Lucas, Losee, Schmitz, Olson, and Johnson. Olson had the team's sole RBI, while Courtney Smith scored the lone run. Losee's hit was a double. Morgan Wilhelm started the game in the circle, going two innings; Marissa Anderson pitched one; and Kennedy Biegler made her pitching debut, striking out one batter in an inning of work.
 
The Cougars start Upper Midwest Athletic Conference play on Friday at Crown College, with the first game beginning at 4 p.m.