The Riverland softball team dropped a pair of close games at Minnesota West Friday.

The Blue Devils (12-9 overall, 6-6 MCCC South) dropped the first game 8-7 and they fell 7-6 in eight innings in the nightcap.

In the second game, Minnesota West scored the winning run in the eighth when relief pitcher Kaylee Newmann fielded a chopper and threw to home instead of first with runners on first and second and two outs. The throw was late and the Blue Devils came up short.

RCC had trailed 6-4 going into the seventh, but they strung together six straight singles to force extra innings. The Blue Devils could’ve taken the lead, but they left the bases loaded.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E

RCC 1 1 0 0 0 5 0 7 13 3

MW 1 0 6 0 0 1 X 8 11 1

RCC pitching: Kaylee Newmann (L, 7-4), 6 IP, 11 H, 3 BB, 8 R, 4 ER, 2 K

RCC hitting: Liz Triplett, 3-for-4, RBI; Danielle Lynch, 3-for-4, R; Carmen Smith, 2-for-4, 2 RBIs, R; Laura Meyer, 2-for-4, RBI, 2 R

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E

RCC 1 2 0 1 0 0 2 0 6 14 5

MW 0 1 2 0 3 0 0 1 7 9 1

RCC pitching: Anna Breault (L, 5-3), 7 2/3 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 7 R, 4 ER, 3 K

RCC hitting: Mandy May, 3-for-3, R; Christy Van Dyke, 2-for-4, RBI, R; Chelsey Swanson, 2-for-4, R; Carmen Smith, 1-for-2, 3 RBIs