Baseball 3/30/2013 4:33:00 PM Shawn Smith, Sports Information Director

Golden Eagles Fall 8-0 and 9-0 to Wayne State in Pair of NSIC Contests

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WAYNE, Neb.  – The University of Minnesota Crookston fell 8-0 and 9-0 Saturday in a pair of games against Wayne State College (Neb.) at Hank Overin Field in Wayne, Neb. The Golden Eagles fall to 0-21 (0-8 NSIC) with the pair of losses. Wayne State improves to 12-6 (4-0 NSIC).   Jon Mittag (Jr., P, Glenville, Minn.) got the start in game one for the Golden Eagles and would struggle, giving up eight runs, five of them earned, on 10 hits in two innings pitched. Mittag was unable to follow up his strong showing earlier this week against Minnesota State University, Mankato, in which he had a no-hitter through four innings and finished the game giving up two unearned runs on two hits.   After a scoreless first inning, Wayne State would plate all eight of their runs in the bottom of the second inning. Curtis Bussard led off the inning with a solo home run to right field. The lead would extend to 2-0 when Tanner Lancaster reached on an error by short stop Tony Madsen (Jr., IF, Mounds View, Minn.) allowing Justin Beranek to score for Wayne State. A Blake Brisson triple to left center to plate Lancaster and Kevin Andersen and make it 4-0. The Wildcats would add another run as C.J. Nolen hit the second home run of the inning to drive in himself and Brisson. Beranek would hit a single to center field to drive in Brandon Lalk and Michael Herman and make it 8-0 coming out of the inning.   The Golden Eagles were unable to get on the board to get into the Wayne State advantage after their big inning as the Wildcats would pick up the win. Mittag suffered the loss for the Golden Eagles as he fell to 0-5 on the year.   Eric Schweiger picked up the win for Wayne State as he pitched a six-inning shutout, allowing just three hits.   Nolen led the Wildcats going 3-for-4 from the plate with two runs batted in and one run scored.   UMC got three hits on the game as Josh Brehmer (Jr., 2B/SS, Roseville, Minn.), Cesar Espinoza (Sr., 1B, Tucson, Ariz.) and Jeremiah Friday (So., C/1B/3B, Rush City, Minn.) got hits for the Golden Eagles.   Brooks Miller (So., IF/OF/P, Moorhead, Minn.) came into relieve Mittag and went four innings, giving up three hits and no earned runs. Miller had not pitched since Feb. 16 before coming in against the Wildcats.   Joe Miller (So., P, Winona, Minn.) would pitch six innings, giving up seven runs on eight hits as he suffered a loss for the Golden Eagles.   Wayne State would score two runs in the bottom of the first to get out to a quick 2-0 lead.   The Wildcats would pad their lead with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth.   In game two Wayne State got a strong pitching performance from freshman Eric Browning, who would pitch a no-hitter until the top of the sixth inning until Jesse Jennings (So., IF/OF, Robbinsdale, Minn.) broke up the no-hitter. The Golden Eagles would get Jennings over to third in the inning but were unable to get the runner home as the score would remain 4-0.   Three more runs would cross for Wayne State in the bottom of the sixth with J. Miller still pitching for the Golden Eagles.   Browning would go six innings for the Wildcats, giving up just one hit in a shutout in which he had 11 strikeouts. Taylor MacDonnell would come on in relief for Wayne State in the top of the seventh.   Jordan Prill (Sr., 1B/OF/P, Melrose, Minn.) would reach on UMC’s second hit of the game in the top of the seventh.    Ryan Paasch (Jr., P, Sauk Rapids, Minn.) came on to relieve Miller in the bottom of the seventh. Paasch would give up two runs on two hits in one inning pitched.   C.J. Nolen would hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh off Paasch to make it 8-0 Wayne State. Michael Frericks would hit a home run shortly thereafter to make it 9-0 Wayne State.   Thane Larson (Jr., P, Grantsburg, Wis.) would come in to relieve Paasch in the bottom of the eighth and mowed down the Wildcat order.   The Golden Eagles will next play against St. Cloud State University April 2. The games will be played at 6:30 and 8:30 a.m. and have been moved from April 3 to April 2 and will be played at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. The games will mark the 13th and 14th games the Golden Eagles will have played at the Metrodome so far this season.     For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics Web site at <a href="http://www.goldeneaglesports.com">www.goldeneaglesports.com</a>. Follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook at Golden Eagle Sports and on Twitter at @UMCAthletics. 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).                                         -30-

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