ROSEMONT, Ill. – MSU Moorhead softball opened play at the annual Lewis Dome Invitational on Thursday afternoon. The Dragons split their opening two games of the six-game tournament.
MSUM commanded their first game of the tournament in a 3-2 win over Parkside. The Dragons would close the day with a 10-2 loss to host Lewis University in six innings.
Dragons 3, Rangers 2
MSUM would quickly load the bases in the top of the first inning as
Evey Evans and
Mack Gallagher would work out walks. Those sharp eyes coupled with an
Azalya Lopez single helped jam the bags for the Dragons.
Eliya Johnson would step to the plate for the first time this season and drive Evans in on a groundout to put MSUM in front 1-0.
Sam Centeno would single in the next at-bat which drove home Lopez to double the Dragon lead.
Lopez would begin the game in the circle for the Dragons and twirl a solid first three innings. The sophomore would surrender just two hits in those three innings and would strikeout a trio of Rangers in the bottom of the third. Of Lopez's first 47 pitches, 30 of them counted as strikes.
In the top of the fourth, Centeno would lead off the inning with a single as
Annika Norman would push
Ella Holiman (pinch running for Centeno) into scoring position.
Olivia Goderis would then crush a single up the middle to score Holiman, putting MSUM up 3-0. Goderis would move into scoring position on a passed ball as
Eliyah McCarthy was in the batter's box. McCarthy would get on base with a single, moving Goderis to third with one down. The Dragons would not be able to push any more runs across in the inning.
Lopez continued to shine in the late innings as she would fan two more Rangers in the bottom of the fifth inning to preserve the 3-0 lead. Through five innings, Lopez had still only given up a pair of Parkside hits.
The sophomore would run into trouble in the bottom of the sixth, surrendering a one-out walk before Parkisde made it a one run game with a two-run home run. After giving up a single with two outs, Lopez was replaced by
Teagan Clemmons, who get out of the inning with a strikeout. MSUM led 3-2 heading into the final frame.
MSUM would be unable to tack on any insurance runs in the top half of the inning as Clemmons looked to close the game in the bottom half. The true freshman needed all but seven pitches to down the Rangers as she would allow MSUM to hang for a 3-2 win. Clemmons struck out two Rangers in her one and a third innings of work.
Dragons 2, Flyers 10
Lopez would tally a triple in the top of the second inning to put a Dragon in scoring position early in the game. Unfortunately for MSUM, they could not drive Lopez in, keeping the game scoreless. Lewis would take advantage in the home half, plating six runs on six hits with the Dragons still ironing out their rotation.
Kaelyn Leverson started the game for MSUM with
Reece Dahl and
Emma Abbott all seeing time in the circle.
The Dragons would get on the board in the fifth inning as Goderis would single with two outs.
Eliyah McCarthy would step up and smack MSUM's second triple of the game, driving in Goderis from first. MSUM could not drive in McCarthy from third base and would trail 6-1 heading into the home half. Leverson would pitch a scoreless half to keep the Dragons within five runs.
Hannah Losee would lead off the sixth with a double to give the Dragons some life late. Lopez would double with two outs to bring home Losee and cut the deficit to four runs. The Flyers would score four runs in the bottom of the sixth to invoke the run rule.
Up Next
The Dragons (6-4) are back inside the Lewis Dome tomorrow for games against Wayne State University and fifth-ranked Grand Valley State. Action begins against the Warriors at 11 a.m.
