Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team put everything on the line aganst University of Sioux Falls battling to a 8-7 loss in 13 innings in game four of the series. UMC fell 12-4 in game three of the series as the Cougars picked up the sweep. Minnesota Crookston came away with play after play in order to stay in the game in extra innings after Sioux Falls tied the game 7-7 on an Austin Richey RBI single in the bottom of the ninth.

The Golden Eagles showed a lot of grit against USF battling until the final out in two of the four games against Sioux Falls. Sunday and Monday's games were played on a neutral site at Voss Field in South Sioux City, Neb. Minnesota Crookston falls to 1-15 (0-4 NSIC) with Monday's losses. Sioux Falls improves to 10-7 (4-0 NSIC) with the series sweep.

The game three start went to Trevor Buttermore (So., P, North St. Paul, Minn./Criminal Justice) for the Golden Eagles. Buttermore would go 3.2 innings while giving up 10 earned runs on 12 hits in the tough start for the UMC pitcher. Buttermore would suffer the loss, falling to 1-3 on the year.

Cody Pamperin (Fr., P, Shakopee, Minn./Golf and Turf Management) went 2.1 innings for the Golden Eagles and pitched strong in relief for Minnesota Crookston. Crookston gave up zero hits and no earned runs with three strikeouts after facing eight batters.

Sioux Falls exploded for five runs apiece in the third and fourth innings to catapult them to a 12-4 win in the first game of the day. The Cougars were led in game one by Richey, who went 3-for-4 with four RBI's and two runs scored while Austin Goodenow was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

The win for the Cougars went to Henry Ojeda, who went seven innings, giving up four runs, only one of those earned, on two hits.

The Golden Eagles were led by Josh Brehmer (Sr., 2B/SS, Falcon Heights, Minn./Communications), who was 1-for-3 with one run scored and Robbie Smothers (Jr., 3B, Waconia, Minn.) who scored two runs on the game.

The start in game four of the series went to Matt Korte (Sr., P/3B, St. Cloud, Minn./Accounting) for Minnesota Crookston. Korte went 7.1 innings, giving up five earned runs on six hits. The Golden Eagles got a very impressive pitching performance in relief from Thane Larson (Sr., P, Grantsburg, Wis./Natural Resources), who went 5.1 innings, allowing just two earned runs on eight hits. Larson unfortunately gave up the gamewinning run and thus is tagged with the loss despite a strong pitching performance for Minnesota Crookston.

UMC started off the game strong as they put three early runs on the board in the top of the first. Brehmer led off the game with a single followed by Patrick Higgins (Fr., OF, Eagan, Minn./Criminal Justice) who reached on an error by the pitcher. Ryan Haggstrom (So., C/1B/P, Apple Valley, Minn./Accounting), who has led the team in runs scored and RBI's this season, came through again in the clutch with a double to center field to plate Brehmer and Higgins to make it 2-0. A Smothers single would score Haggstrom to extend the lead to 3-0 for Minnesota Crookston.

Sioux Falls would respond with a run of their own in the bottom of the first as Noah Durkin scored on a groundout to make it 3-1 with UMC still in the lead.

USF would come up with a big inning off Korte in the bottom of the second. With the bases juiced, Korte would walk Brandon Truesdell to allow Dylan Dwyer to come in for the first run. With the bases still loaded, Durkin hit a single to score Goodenow and Anthony Lopez to make it 4-3. Truesdell would score on a groundout to make it 5-3. Korte would pitch himself out of the jam to keep the score at 5-3 with Sioux Falls in the lead.

The Golden Eagles would cut into Sioux Falls' advantage in the top of the third as Travis Magdzas (Jr., OF, Duluth, Minn./Criminal Justice) singled up the middle to score Smothers, who had singled earlier in the inning.

UMC would add another run in the top of the fourth as Jesse Jennings (Jr., OF, Robbinsdale, Minn./Criminal Justice) crossed the plate on a Haggstrom double. Jennings reached on an error to lead off the inning. Jennings' run would knot up the score at 5-5.

Another Golden Eagle run would cross the plate in the top of the fifth when Brehmer hit a single to left to score Brandon Kresl (Fr., 1B, Crookston, Minn./Business), who had reached on an error, to amke it 6-5 Golden Eagles.

Korte would pitch five innings of shutout baseball to hold the Cougars at bay to allow UMC to hold on to their 6-5 advantage.

Sioux Falls would finally get a run off Korte in the eighth inning as Lopez reached on an error to allow Michael Downs, who had been hit by a pitch, to score. Larson would come on in relief to get UMC out of any trouble in the inning.

Minnesota Crookston would add their seventh run of the game in the top of the ninth as Colton Haight (So., C, Buffalo, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) scored as Brehmer reached on a single to take the advatage 7-6.

Sioux Falls would knot things up as Richey singled to right field to plate Durkin. The game would go to extra innings knotted up 7-7.

The Cougars would pose the first threat in extras in the 11th inning as Sioux Falls had runners on second and third with two outs before Larson came up in a clutch moment, striking out Cole Sweeney.

Sioux Falls would again pose a threat in the 12th as they again had two runners in scoring position. Larson would again come up in a big way as he struck out the USF batter.

The Golden Eagles would get their leadoff batter on base as Haggstrom earned a walk but would be unable to get the go-ahead run in the 13th.

Durkin would lead off the 13th with a double. With the bases loaded and one out, Dwyer would come through with a sacrifice fly to plate the winning run, Durkin, as Sioux Falls picked up the 8-7 win.

The win for the Cougars went to Connor Gibson, who came on in relief and pitched 4.1 innings, giving up just one hit and no earned runs. Noah Coleman got the start for Sioux Falls and went 6.2 innings, giving up four earned runs on 11 hits.

The Golden Eagles were led on the game by Brehmer, who had his best game to-date, going 3-fo-6 with one run scored and two RBI's. In addition to Brehmer, Haggstrom was 2-of-6 with three RBI's and one run scored.

Minnesota Crookston will return to action March 29 and 30 as they head to Sioux Falls, S.D. to face Augustana College (S.D.).

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics website 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).