ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead softball team suffered a pair of tough losses to Concordia-St. Paul on Friday, falling to the Golden Bears 8-6 and 10-9 (eight innings) in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action in St. Paul, Minn.

MSUM fell to 11-17 overall while Concordia improved to 15-24.

In the first game, sophomore third baseman Kristina Villalobos was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while senior center fielder Mollie Annen was 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Dragons. Junior right fielder Kristy Bruni and junior shortstop Kristen Nordby were each 1-for-3 with an RBI while sophomore second baseman Jill Fox was 1-for-2 with an RBI. Junior pitcher Morgan Nybo was 1-for-4 with an RBI while sophomore designated hitter Hannah Klug and senior catcher Brittany York had hits for the Dragons, who finished with 10 as a team.

Nybo took the loss for MSUM, going six innings and allowing eight runs (six earned). She struck out four and walked three. The Dragons committed four errors in the game.

MSUM trailed 4-0 after one inning but scored in the second when Fox's RBI single scored Nordby, who had reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning.

Concordia scored three more runs in the second to push the lead to 7-1.  In the third, MSUM mounted a comeback with a five-run rally. Annen, Klug and York hit consecutive singles to load the bases, and Annen scored when Bruni walked to force in a run. Nybo singled to score Klug, and Nordby followed with an RBI single to score York to bring MSUM within 7-4. Villalobos hit a sacrifice fly to score Bruni, and later in the inning, Annen singled to score Nordby to bring the Dragons within 7-6.

Concordia added another run in the fourth to push the lead to 8-6. MSUM had two runners on base in the sixth but was unable to get a run across and ultimately fell two runs short.

MSUM had 13 hits in the second game, led by Villalobos, who was 4-for-4 with a homer and an RBI. York was 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBI while Bruni was 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI. Nordby added a solid homer. Klug was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI while Annen and Fox had hits.

Sophomore pitcher Carly Williamson took the loss. She pitched an inning of relief and gave up four runs, all earned. Nordby received a no-decision after going 6 1/3 innings and allowing six runs, all earned.

MSUM led 4-0, 6-4 and 9-6 in the game but was unable to keep the Golden Bears off the scoreboard.

The Dragons led 2-0 after the first inning. Annen singled and one out later, York hit a homer, her fifth of the season, to put MSUM up 2-0. In the second inning, Bruni and Villalobos hit back-to-back home runs to push the lead to 4-0.

Nordby led off the fourth with a homer to push the Dragon lead to 5-0. Concordia cut the lead to 5-4 in the fourth, with a three-run homer proving to be the big hit.

MSUM scored another run in the fifth, capitalizing on a pair of errors by Concordia to push the lead to 6-4. The game stayed that way until the bottom of the seventh when the Golden Bears hit a two-run homer to tie the game.

In the eighth, MSUM took a three-run lead. Villalobos singled and was forced out at second on a fielder's choice by Fox. Fox stole second and one out later, Annen was intentionally walked. After both runners advanced one base after a wild pitch, Klug doubled to center to score both runners, giving MSUM an 8-6 lead. York then delivered with an RBI single to score Klug, pushing the Dragon lead to 9-6.

Concordia scored four runs off of five hits in the bottom of the inning to rally for the win.

MSUM faces Minnesota State, Mankato on Saturday. The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. in Mankato, Minn.