The University of Minnesota Duluth softball team dropped their final game of the Emporia State Classic in heartbreaking fashion to Northwest Missouri State 9-8 on Monday morning in Topeka, Kansas. 

Despite a valiant effort from both the offense and defense, the Bulldogs were unable to finish the game on top. SIdney Zavoral and Kat Burkhardt lead the way with three and four RBIs as well as a home run each. Zavoral now leads the Bulldogs in home runs this season with four. 

On the mound, freshman Allyssa Williams picked up her first loss of the season after going 4.2 innings and giving up five runs. Williams notched five strikeouts on the day, moving her season total to 16. 

The first inning started in favor of the Bulldogs as they jumped to an early 3-0 lead thanks to a Zavoral three-run homer to left field. The Bearcats would answer with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first, cutting the Bulldogs lead to one. Dea Deleon would notch an RBI of her own early in the second to bring the Bulldogs back up by two. 

The Bearcats would tie up the ballgame 4-4 as the Bulldogs headed up to bat in the fourth inning. Excitement would strike again for the Bulldogs when Burkhardt would send one over the fence for a grand slam, putting the Bulldogs up 8-4. Northwest Missouri State would gradually answer as they tagged on a few more runs which tied it up 8-8 as they head to the bottom of the seventh. The Bearcats would go on to walk it off with a single to center field, ending the ballgame 9-8. 

Up Next

UMD will be back in action on Thursday February 23, in Rosemont Illinois for the Lewis Dome Invitational. They will open play against Ferris University and Wayne State University at 6:00 and 8:00 pm.