Morris, Minn. – The Crown softball team traveled to Morris on Monday to take on the Cougars in their first action since return from Tucson over spring break.  Playing a double-header against Morris, the Storm lost game one by a score of 13-8 but prevailed in game two, 10-8.  Unfortunately, game one counted as a UMAC conference game, while game two was tabbed as a non-conference affair.

The Storm hit the ball well in the first game, but were let down by some sloppy play in the field, committing four errors that led to eight unearned runs.

The Cougars scored seven in the bottom of the second before Crown answered with four in the top of the third.  That inning was highlighted by a Sofia Palacios home run to dead center that scored two for the Storm.  The blast was Palacios's third of the year.

Unfortunately, Crown would get no closer than a three run deficit the rest of the way.  Sarah Petkau took the loss, throwing six complete innings while only giving up five earned runs.

Game two would get off to a hot start, with the visitors scoring four in the top half of the first thanks in large part to a Cassidy Valenzuela three-run double.  Morris got three back in the bottom of the first, and after a scoreless second inning, Crown scored five in the top of the third to blow the game wide open. 

Valenzuela came through with another bit hit, this time a two-run double that gave her a record tying five RBI for the game.  Alisha Promis and Palacios also came through with RBI hits in the inning.

An RBI groundout from Moriah Sawyer in the fourth completed Crown's scoring and Cearra Dulaney was able to scatter 11 hits over seven innings to pick up her first win of the year.

Crown improved to 2-16 on the season and will return to action later this week at the UMAC Crossover event for four conference games in the West St. Paul Dome.