The University of Minnesota Duluth were on the losing ends of a pair of games on Friday to open the 2019 season at the Arkansas Tech Winter Invitational falling 2-1 to Cameron University and 6-4 to No. 20 Arkansas Tech University.

The Bulldogs, who marked their 39th season of collegiate competition with their earliest start in program history, had a pair of miscues in the opener that opted the Aggies with chances to score both of their runs, and then the Golden Suns received a home run by 2018 All-American Megan Goodnight to walk off UMD in the bottom of the seventh in the second game.

With seven new players this season, the Bulldogs saw four of those players see their first collegiate action. Right-handed hurler Sam Pederson (North Branch, Minn.) got the nod to start in the circle against the 20th-ranked team in the nation. Pederson opened her Bulldog debut and her first-career start with a no-decision in five innings of work. Emma Frost (Farmington, Minn.) registered her first playing time earning a pinch-hit opportunity against Cameron. Ali Schak (Faribault, Minn.) was used as a pinch runner in both games and Erin Thompson (Superior, Wis.) filled in as a defensive replacement in left field versus the Golden Suns. 

UMD hit a combined .245 at the dish as it collected 12 hits and scored a total of five runs on the afternoon. The Bulldogs drew seven walks but struck out 14 times and were caught on the base paths on all three steal attempts. Defensively, UMD surrendered eight runs, only five earned, as it gave up two errors and a trio of passed balls. The pitching staff compiled 12 strike outs and only handed out five free passes.

Junior outfielder Lauren Greeder was one of four Bulldogs to amass multiple hits Friday. Greeder went 2-for-4 and gathered a pair of walks. Junior outfielder Jayme Langbehn, who also had two hits, was the lone UMD batter to gather more than one RBI. Senior outfielder Sammi Sadler recorded the first triple of the season, and the Brooklyn Park, Minn., native made her first-ever appearance on the rubber for the Bulldogs.

Sadler, who was also a standout outfielder/pitcher for Maple Grove H.S. along with her older sister, Cayli -- also a Bulldog alum who is the program's career leader in pitching victories and appearances -- came in relief for Pederson and delivered a 1-2-3 inning in the sixth against No. 20 Arkansas Tech. However, trouble spelled in the seventh as Goodnight has able to muscle a two-strike pitch over the left field fence.

Junior pitcher Breanna Swint started the first game and went the distance, going all seven innings while striking out eight. She allowed just a pair of unearned runs and took the tough-luck loss. Cameron scored in the top of first off a single by Callie Busby which allowed Brenna Busby to score from third after advancing on a passed ball. Khmari Edwards scored in the fourth after stealing third and taking home after a Bulldog throwing error. That was the decisive run as UMD did tie the game the previous half-inning. Sophomore infielder Jordyn Thomas ripped a gapping double to right center plating Sadler, who started the inning with a single. The Aggies held the Bulldogs to just two hits after regaining the lead.

UMD had better success at generating offense in the second game. No. 20 Arkansas Tech climbed out to a 1-0 after the first but the bulldogs scored three times in the top of the third. Langbehn doubled to score junior catcher Hannah Bloch, who made her first appearance back with the club after sitting in 2018 with an injury. Langbehn touched home on Sadler's aforementioned triple and in the next at-bat junior infielder Lauren Oberle drove Sadler in with a single of her own. The Golden Suns responded in the bottom of the third with three runs of their own to regain the lead but Langbehn delivered a key two-out single to tie the game in the sixth.
 
The Bulldogs will return to the diamond on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. against West Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University-Kingsville at 1:00 p.m.