Box Score Post-Game Interviews with Coach Vito, Marcus Campbell, Trevor Buttermore and Ryan Haggstrom

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The University of Minnesota Crookston opened up play at the 2014 Winning Inning Invitational in Florida with a 7-6 victory over Hillsdale College Fri., March 14 at Jack Russell Memorial Stadium in Clearwater, Fla. The Golden Eagles were able to come up with crucial offensive and defensive plays to hold on for a hard-fought win after a late surge in the bottom of the ninth by the Chargers.

The win is the first of the season for UMC, who moves to 1-7 on the year. Hillsdale, a NCAA Division II school from Hillsdale, Mich., falls to 1-11 on the season with Friday's loss.

The Golden Eagles had a strong pitching performance from starter Trevor Buttermore (So., P, North St. Paul, Minn./Criminal Justice), who went seven innings, giving up five earned runs on 10 hits to earn the win. The victory is the first of the young career for Buttermore.

In addition to Buttermore, the Golden Eagles got impact performances at the plate from two of their most consistent players so far this season. Ryan Haggstrom (So., C/1B/P, Apple Valley, Minn./Accounting) was 3-of-5 with two runs scored and one RBI. Haggstrom has improved his batting average to .483 this season with five runs scored and two RBI's. In addition to Haggstrom, Marcus Campbell (So., OF/P, St. Croix Falls, Wis./Golf and Turf Management) came up in clutch moments, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI's.

The game proved to be a good one from the start of Friday's action on a sunny morning in Clearwater, Fla. The Golden Eagles opened things up in the top of the first as Haggstrom got on-base with a two-out infield single. Haggstrom would come across the plate, showing off his wheels as he made it home from first base, as Campbell doubled down the left field line.

The Chargers would strike back in the bottom of the first when Luke Ortel would move his way around the bases after a leadoff single. Ortel moved to second on what would be the first of seven steals on the game for Hillsdale. He would make it third on a Buttermore balk. The Hillsdale player would score on a groundout by Connor Bartlett.

Hillsdale would have their most dangerous inning against Buttermore in the bottom of the third. After back-to-back singles and stolen bases by Vinny Delicata and Ortel, Bartlett would come through in a big way with a single to plate Delicata. A single from Chris McDonald would bring home Bartlett and Ortel to extend Hillsdale's advantage to 4-1. Buttermore would get out of the inning with a fielder's choice and a groundout to Haggstrom at first base.

The Golden Eagles would go punch for punch with Hillsdale as they put up two runs of their own in the top of the fourth. Minnesota Crookston would get the first two runners on as Campbell walked and Matt Korte (Sr., 3B/P, St. Cloud, Minn./Accounting) reached on an error by the second basemen. Travis Magdzas (Jr., OF, Duluth, Minn./Criminal Justice) would be a hit by a pitch to load the bases after a sacrifice bunt from Colton Haight (So., C. Buffalo, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) moved the runners over. Tony Madsen (Sr., 2B/SS, Mounds View, Minn./Natural Resources Management) would come through in the clutch with an RBI double through the left side  to plate Campbell and Korte. Magdzas would be stranded, keeping the score at Hillsdale 4, UMC 3.

Minnesota Crookston would knot things up at 4-4 as Haggstrom came through again with a triple to left field to score Patrick Higgins (Fr., OF/2B, Eagan, Minn./Criminal Justice), who reaced on a walk from pitcher Spencer Doan.

Neither team would score in the next inning-and-a-half. However, the Golden Eagles would be able to extend their lead to 6-4 in the top of the seventh. With one out, Higgins would single and then advance to second on a Doan balk. The next play would seem to be an out with a grounder to third base but a low throw would go through the legs of the first basemen allowing Campbell to reach and allowing Higgins to come in for the run. Campbell and Hillsdale's McDonald had an explosive collision at first base on the play, leading one of the UMC players to exclaim "He's a football player," in reference to Campbell, who was a punter for one season at University of Wisconsin-River Falls for one season before transferring to UMC to play baseball. Both players would be fine following the collision.

Minnesota Crookston would add a second run when Korte doubled down the left field line to plate Campbell, which would ultimately chase Doan from the game. Jon Hanrahan would come on for Hillsdale and get the Chargers out of the inning.

Hillsdale would look to rally in the bottom of the seventh off Buttermore, who was well over 100 pitches going into the inning. Delicata would lead off the inning by being hit by a pitch and would steal second and advance to third on a wild pitch. After UMC got one out, Bartlett would hit an infield single to plate Delicata. With another runner to put on by Buttermore, the Chargers looked to add to their inning as Sean Bennett laced a ball down the right side by Haggstrom would make what was perhaps the defensive play of the game as he had a knee-jerk reaction jumping up and using his 6-5 frame to corral the rocket and get Buttermore out of the inning with UMC still leading 6-5.

Hillsdale would mount another scoring chance in the bottom of the eighth with Ryan Paasch (Sr., P, Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) on in relief of Buttermore. Paasch would put runners on, giving up a Gentile single. Gentile would be pulled for pinch-runner Adam Ladzinkski who was caught stealing by Haight. With two outs, Jake Lee would be hit by a pitch and then pinch-hitter Nolan Nunez would be walked by Paasch to give Hillsale two more runners. Paasch would come big though getting UMC out of danger.

The Golden Eagles would pad their lead in the top of the ninth. With one out, Haggstrom would lay down a beauty of a bunt right down the third base line, reaching base for the Golden Eagles. Campbell would again come up in a big way with double down the left field line to score Haggstrom.

Hillsdale would put together a dangerous inning in the bottom of the ninth to make things very interesting for the Golden Eagles. Cayden Barta (Fr., P, Fargo, N.D./Criminal Justice) would come on for the save opportunity for Minnesota Crookston. Barta would hit Tad Sobieszczanski with one out to give the Chargers a base-runner. McDonald then singled to left field moving Sobiesczczanski to second. A walk dealt to Bennett would give Hillsdale a bases loaded situation with one out. In a pinch-hit situation Wiskur would ground out to third, allowing Sobiesczczanski to score but giving the Golden Eagles an out. Lincoln Reed would then send a ball toward center where Jesse Jennings (Jr., OF. Robbinsdale, Minn./Criminal Justice) made a good play to held the Golden Eagles hold on for their first victory of the year.

Minnesota Crookston had 10 hits on the day. Hillsdale would finish with 12. The Golden Eagles also had a very solid defensive showing with no errors while the Chargers had two.

Hillsdale was led by Ortel, who was 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Bartlett was 2-for-5 with three RBI's and one run scored while McDonald was 2-for-4 with two RBI's.

Hanrahan would pick up the loss for Chargers, while Buttermore had the win. Hanrahan went 1.2 innings, giving up three hits and what would be the winning run for UMC. Barta would come away with the save for the Golden Eagles.

Jacob King had the start for Hillsdale, going four innings and giving up four runs on four hits.

The Golden Eagles will continue play at the Winning Inning Invitational Sat., March 15 at 9 a.m. E.T./8 a.m. C.T as they head to the Walter Fuller Complex to play West Chester University, out of Pennsylvania. The Walter Fuller Complex is the former Spring Training home of the Tampa Bay Rays.

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website at www.goldeneaglesports.com.

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).