Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.  – Strong pitching from Minnesota State University, Mankato's Harvey Martin and Jason Hoppe would lead the No. 11 Mavericks past the University of Minnesota Crookston 9-0 and 10-0 Sunday night at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) opener for both teams. The Golden Eagles struggled in game one but were toe-to-toe with the Mavericks in game two down only 4-0 going into the bottom of the eighth inning after getting strong pitching from Matt Korte (Jr., P, St. Cloud, Minn.). Korte would give up just one earned run in five-and-two thirds innings pitched for UMC. The Golden Eagles fall to 0-15 on the season while Minnesota State improves to 13-4 on the season.
 
Sunday would feature late night baseball in the conference opener as the games did not get under way until 9:15 p.m. and concluded at 1:43 a.m. Mon., March 25. The second game was called due to the 10-run rule in the bottom of the eighth inning.
 
The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team fell 9-0 in game one as Minnesota State pitcher Martin, a 2012 Daktronics Honorable Mention All-America pitched a one-hit shutout in his five innings on the mound as he would pick up a victory for the Mavericks.  
 
J.C. Crane (Sr., C/OF/P, Tucson, Ariz.) would get the start on the bump for the Golden Eagles and would go three-and-a-third inning giving up six earned run on six hits. Crane would give up just one run in the first two innings but would give up five runs in the third and fourth innings as he picked up his second loss of the season.
 
The Golden Eagles got a hit from Ryan Haggstrom (Fr., P/UT, Apple Valley, Minn.) in the top of the first but were unable to get Haggstrom home. His hit would be the only hit Minnesota Crookston would get off of Martin.
 
Minnesota State got on the board in the bottom of the first as Stetson Olson singled to right to field to score Nolan Johnson, who reached on a walk.
 
The Mavericks were able to get to Crane in the bottom of the third as Parker Sullivan led off the inning with a triple. Scott Lindner then hit a double down the left field line to plate Sullivan. Johnson followed suit with a third-straight extra base hit for Minnesota State as he doubled to center field to score Lindner. A sacrifice fly by Ben Keller would plate Johnson to end the inning with the Mavericks ahead 4-0 over the Golden Eagles.
 
In the bottom of the fourth, the Mavericks would get a single from Sullivan and a walk to Lindner in order to chase Crane from the game. Trevor Buttermore (Fr., P, North St. Paul, Minn.) would come on to relieve Crane with one out. Sullivan would score on an error by Colton Haight (Fr., C/1B/OF, Rogers, Minn.). Olson would then hit a bomb to right field over the baggie at the Metrodome. Lindner would score to make it 7-0 on the game.
 
The Mavericks would pad their lead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth as Keller doubled to right center off Buttermore to plate Connor McCallum. Keller would score on a fielder's choice to make it 9-0 on the game.
 
Nathan Linstad (Fr., P/UT, Inkster, N.D.) would pitch the sixth inning for Minnesota Crookston and would give up just one walk in his only frame.
 
The Golden Eagles would get singles from Crane and Jordan Prill (Sr., 1B/P, Melrose, Minn.) to finish the game with three hits as they would hit off Tyler Sparger who came on in relief.
 
Korte got the start in game two for Golden Eagles. Korte and Minnesota State pitcher Hoppe would engage in a pitcher's duel through the first five innings as Korte would give up just two runs on five hits while Hoppe pitched a two-hit shutout through five. Hoppe would continue his shutout through seven innings, giving up just two hits, until he was relieved by Nick Sutherland in the eighth.
 
Minnesota State's first two runs came in the bottom of the third as Olson singled up the middle to plate Sullivan, a run that was unearned as he had advanced to third on a passed ball. Todd Standish would also come across the plate for the Mavericks.
 
The Golden Eagles made a night of getting out of jams, no more so than in the bottom of the sixth inning. With his pitch count moving toward 100, Korte allowed a single to McCallum. Jon Flattery then reached on an error by Korte. A sacrifice bunt by Mike Andries moved the runners into scoring position for Minnesota State. Korte then hit Sullivan and subsequently hit Lindner to score a run for Minnesota State and make it 3-0. Richie Navratil (So., P, Blansko, Czech Republic) then came on in relief and got Johnson to ground out to Tony Madsen (Jr., IF, Mounds View, Minn.) to get out of the inning.
 
With Navratil on the mound, Minnesota State would add a run as Olson, who singled to lead off the inning, would score on a McCallum single up the middle to make it 4-0 Minnesota State.
 
The wheels would come off in the bottom of the eighth for UMC as the Mavericks would score seven runs in the inning. The frame began with a throwing error by Navratil on a single by Sullivan would allow Standish to score in the bottom of the eighth to extend their advantage to 5-0 on the game. Johnson would hit a single to left center to plate Sullivan. Olson would crush a ball off Navratil a third of the way into the upper deck stands in right field at the Metrodome to plate both him and Jon Heiderscheit. A single by McCallum to right field would plate the ninth run to score Taylor Branstad.
 
Ryan Paasch (Jr., P, Sauk Rapids, Minn.) would come on to relieve Navratil with two outs. Josh Brehmer (Jr., 2B/SS, Roseville, Minn.) would look to have cleanly fielded ground ball to get out of the inning but a bad throw would allow the tenth run to score on the game which would invoke the run rule and end the game 10-0 with the Mavericks picking up the win.
 
The Mavericks would finish game two with 14 hits led by Olson, who would go 3-of-5 with four runs batted in and two runs scored. McCallum was 4-of-5 for the game with two RBI's and one run scored.
 
The Golden Eagles and Mavericks will continue their series Mon., March 25 with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at the Metrodome.
 
For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics Web site at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

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The University of Minnesota Crookston is an NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).
                                       
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