WEST ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead softball team split two games at the final day of the West St. Paul Dome tournament on Thursday. The Dragons opened the day with a 9-6, come-from-behind win over Minnesota Crookston before losing a 9-7 heartbreaker to Bemidji State in eight innings to cap off the day.
Brittany YorkMSUM finished the indoor tournament at 2-2.
"We had another great day as far as scoring runs," MSUM head coach
Kelsey Fehl said. "
Taylor Huss and
Brittany York both had great tournaments. We had our opportunities against Bemidji State but just couldn't shut them down."
Senior catcher
Brittany York had a huge first game to help the Dragons past Minnesota Crookston. York finished 3-for-4 with two homers and five RBI. Senior shortstop
Taylor Huss was 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI, while sophomore right fielder
Hannah Klug was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Junior designated hitter
Kristy Bruni was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while junior second baseman
Kristen Nordby was 1-for-2 while senior center fielder
Mollie Annen, sophomore first baseman
Lauren Meeker and sophomore catcher
Sam Gardner all had hits for the Dragons.
Junior pitcher
Morgan Nybo improved to 2-0 on the year with the complete-game win. She allowed six earned runs, striking out three while walking six.
Minnesota Crookston jumped out to a 5-0 lead after a five-run third inning. The Dragons' comeback started in the fourth when Klug, York and Huss all singled. After Klug was out on a play at home, but Bruni delivered with a two-run double to bring MSUM within 5-2.
Gardner led off the fifth with a double, and one out later, Klug walked. York crushed a three-run homer to left to score all three runs, tying the game at 5-5. The next batter, Huss, homered to center to give the Dragons a 6-5 lead.
They added to the lead in the sixth. With two outs, Annen led off with a double and scored on an RBI single by Klug. York provided another big hit, a two-run homer, to push the lead to 9-5.
UMC scored a run in the seventh but Nybo ended the threat preserve the Dragons' 9-6 win.
In the loss to Bemidji, Nordby was 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBI. Bruni was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI while Annen and York were each 2-for-5 with an RBI. Sophomore left fielder
Carly Williamson was 2-for-4 with a run scored while Huss had a hit.
Nordby took the loss for MSUM, giving up nine runs (six earned) in eight innings. She struck out eight and walked four.
Bemidji scored a run in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the first, MSUM scored twice to take the lead. Annen led off with a double and scored on an error when York's single was misplayed in right. Bruni ripped a double to score York to give MSUM a one-run lead.
The Beavers regained the lead at 3-2 thanks to a two-run second. With two out, Wiliamson singled, and scored on an RBI double by Annen. After an error allowed Annen to advance to third, York singled to center to score Annen, helping the Dragons recapture the lead at 4-3.
The lead grew to 6-3 in the third. Bruni singled, and one out later, scored on a two-run homer by Nordby to give the Dragons a three-run advantage.
The Beavers cut the lead to 6-5 with single runs in the fourth and the fifth. The Dragons pushed the lead to 7-5 when Huss scored on an RBI single by Nordby.
Bemidji State battled back to tie the game in the top of the seventh. The Dragons appeared to have a chance in the bottom of the seventh when Meeker crushed a shot to center; however the ball hit off the ceiling and ended up being caught.
A two-run homer in the eighth gave Bemidji State a two-run lead. The Dragons brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the inning but a line-out ended the threat.
MSUM is off until March 14 when begins competition at the NTC College Games in Clermont, Fla. The Dragons will open against Stonehill College and Ferris State on March 14 as part of their 10-game schedule in Florida.
