WICHITA, Kan. - After a hard-fought battle, the University of Minnesota Crookston (1-3) baseball team fell just a hair short of a .500 winning percentage, when they suffered an 8-7 loss to Washburn University (7-0) at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium in Wichita, Kan. on Saturday afternoon.

The Golden Eagles matched up evenly to the Ichabods, posting 11 hits each. UMC's top hitters were Kenny Perez (Jr., DH, Orlando, Fla./Health Science) and Jesse Jennings (Sr., OF, Robbinsdale, Minn./Criminal Justice), who went 2-for-5 and 2-for-4, respectively. The biggest damage, however, was done by Ryan Haggstrom's (Jr., 1B/C/P, Apple Valley, Minn./Accounting, Finance) and Tommy Kinsella's (Jr., IF, North Branch, Minn./Sport & Recreation Management) 2 RBIs apiece.

To start the game, Head coach Steve Gust looked to Jared Nelson (Jr., P, Karlstad, Minn./Education), hoping for a way to ice Washburn's hitters and limit their running game. Nelson got the lead-off hitter out, but allowed three straight hits after that. With runners on first and second, Gauntt's double meant two runs crossing home plate as the Ichabods took an early 2-0 lead.

An answer from the visiting Golden Eagles came right away, in the form of Colton Haight (Jr., C, Rogers, Minn./Sport & Recreation Management) touching home on Jesse Jennings' bloop-single to the right field, giving Crookston their first run.

When the bottom of the second rolled around, Washburn University seemed to find a way to get to Nelson, putting up a three-spot. It all started with Corey's triple, and a following single brought him in for a 3-1 lead. With one out, another two RBI singles gave the home team a three run lead.

Once again, Crookston found a way to chip away, when Ethan Mushitz (Fr., IF, East Grand Forks, Minn./Criminal Justice) reached first safely with a one-out single up the middle. After Haggstrom got hit by a pitch, Tommy Kinsella came up with a clutch hit. With two men out, Kinsella did not hesitate, sending a deep triple to the right field on the first pitch he saw in that at-bat, easily scoring both Mushitz and Haggstrom. His two RBIs meant score changing to 5-3, UMC now trailing by mere two runs.

With Ichabod bats staying quiet, it was the Golden Eagles getting loud once again. For the first time in the game, the visiting Minnesota Crookston took the lead, 6-5. The rally began with Riley Thompson's (Fr., OF/P, Owatonna, Minn./Criminal Justice) and Jesse Jennings' back-to-back hits. Well placed bunt by Patrick Amerson (So., IF, Eloy, Ariz./Management) resulted in an error by Ichabod defense, giving Thompson enough room to cross home safely for Crookston's fourth run. Haggstrom's RBI hard-hit ball up the middle sent both Jennings and Amerson home for the 6-5 lead.

UMC's lead, however, did not last long. In the bottom of the fourth, Nelson gave up a single, and with one out, walked and hit a batter, loading up the bases. That wrapped up his afternoon, forcing Gust to go to his bullpen earlier than planned. Relieving Alan Frank's (Sr., P, St. Michael, Minn./Applied Studies) hit-by-pitch tied the game up at 6 apiece, but that was all Frank allowed that inning.

The game did not remain tied for long. UMC's bats were silenced in the top of the fifth, giving a chance to the home team to regain the lead. With two outs and runners on first and third, a well-executed steal of second drew the throw to the base, allowing the seventh run to cross home plate safely.

Both Frank and Ichabod's pitcher Gabler asserted their dominance on the mound, allowing only a few runners during their time on the bump. The Golden Eagles seemed to figure their way around Gabler. It all started with Colton Haight drawing a 7-pitch walk. Amerson found a gap with his single up the middle, and Dalton Parks (Jr., OF, West Valley City, Utah/Sport & Recreation Management) followed up with a well-placed single to tie the game up once again.

An intense ballgame went into the ninth inning tied. The Golden Eagles unfortunately saw a 1-2-3 inning unravel, sending them to defend a 7-7 tie in the bottom of the ninth inning. Even though Frank was able to hold Ichabods at bay, fatigue got to him in his fifth total inning on the bump. With one out, Frank walked three straight batters, and Gust's second trip to the mound within the ninth inning meant Cody Pamperin (So., P, Shakopee, Minn./Turf Management) was looked to save the day. With a few close pitches, the sophomore was unable to record two more outs, walking in the eight run for an 8-7 Ichabod walk-off win over the Golden Eagles.

The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles will head down to Beatrice, Neb. (or Dickinson, ND, weather-pending) to play Dickinson State University in a five-game matchup, before they head to Clearwater, Fla. for their spring training.

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).