CLEARWATER, Fla.- The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team picked up a split in a doubleheader against Saint Michael's College Monday afternoon at Jack Russell Stadium in Clearwater, Fla. The Golden Eagles fell 7-4 in game one to their opponents out of Vermont, but bounced back for a 12-8 win in game two. The Golden Eagles move to 5-9 on the season as they head into their last game in Clearwater, Fl. against Clearwater Christian College at 5 p.m. C.T. at Jack Russell Stadium Tues., March 17. Saint Michael's moved to 1-4 with the split.

In game one, the Golden Eagles gave the ball to Trevor Buttermore (Jr., RHP, North St. Paul, Minn./Criminal Justice) on the mound. Buttermore would go 5.2 innings and give up six runs, five of them earned, in the loss.

UMC would get out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second against the Purple Knights. A David Anaya (So., 2B/SS, Tucson, Ariz./Health Science) double would drive in Kenny Perez (Jr., DH/1B, Orlando, Fla./Health Science). Zach Frazier (R-Fr., C, Grand Rapids, Minn./Natural Resources) would continue the inning with a single, to drive in Patrick Higgins (So., OF, Eagan, Minn./Criminal Justice).

Saint Michael's would add three in the top of the third as Steven Auger scored on a wild pitch. Michael Dougherty would score on a groundout and Don McGuirl scores on a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2.

The Purple Knights would add two runs in the fifth to make it 5-2 and would extend their lead to 6-2 in the sixth.

The Golden Eagles would cut the advantage to 6-3 as Perez hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Ethan Mushitz (Fr., 2B/SS, East Grand Forks, Minn./Criminal Justice).

Saint Michael's would extend their lead to 7-3 off of relief pitcher Cody Pamperin (So., RHP, Shakopee, Minn./Golf and Turf Management) as Peter Bocchino doubled to drive in Matt Feeney.

The Golden Eagles would look for the comeback in the bottom of the seventh. UMC would get two runners on with one out. With two outs, UMC would load up the bases. Thomas Kinsella (Jr., IF, North Branch, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) would reach on a fielder's choice but Saint Michael's would be unable to get an out, allowing Jesse Jennings (Sr., OF, Robbinsdale, Minn./Criminal Justice) to score. With the bases loaded, UMC would be unable to get any more runs as the Purple Knights would hang on for the win.

The win for Saint Michael's went to Alex Winkelmann.

The Golden Eagles were led at the plate by Ryan Haggstrom (Jr., 1B/P, Apple Valley, Minn./Accounting), who was 2-of-4, while Higgins was 1-of-2 with one run scored and Anaya was 1-of-2 with one RBI.

The Purple Knights were led in game one by Dougherty, who was 4-of-4 with one RBI and two runs scored.

In game two, UMC would start Jarad Nelson (Jr., RHP, Karlstad, Minn./Education) who would go four innings and give up five earned runs on seven hits in the win to move to 2-0. Alan Frank (Sr., LHP, St. Michael, Minn./Applied Studies) would come out of the bullpen and get the save after going three innings allowing three earned runs on four hits.

The Golden Eagles would start things off on a great note putting up a five-spot in the first inning to go ahead 5-0. Dalton Parks (Jr., OF, West Valley City, Utah/Sports and Rec Management) would start the game with a lead-off double. Parks and Higgins would start out the scoring as they reached on an error by the third baseman. Haggstrom and Kinsella would come across on an error soon after by the first baseman to make it 4-0. A Riley Thompson (Fr., OF, Owatonna, Minn./Criminal Justice) single would continue things, driving in Colton Haight (Jr., C, Rogers, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) to give the Golden Eagles a 5-0 advantage.

The Purple Knights would cut the lead to 5-2 as George Buteau got a hold of a Nelson pitch and rocketed it over the wall between left and center field.

UMC would add a run in the top of second to make it 6-2 as a Kinsella single drove in Higgins.

Saint Michael's would cut the lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the third when Nicky Elderton singled down the right field line to drive in Dougherty. Nelson would pitch out of any more trouble.

The Golden Eagles extended their lead to 8-3 in the top of the fourth as Haggstrom hit a sacrifce fly to drive in Higgins and Perez singled to drive in Kinsella.

The Purple Knights would also tally two in the bottom of the fourth to cut the deficit to 8-5 as Drew Salk scored on an Aiden Burton single and Auger scored on a groundout.

The Golden Eagles would extend the lead to 9-5 in the fifth when Parks drove in Haight on a single.

Saint Michael's would again cut into the lead as they got two runs off of Frank in the fifth.

UMC would cement things with three runs in the top of the sixth. With the bases loaded, Mushitz would hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Kinsella. The bases again were full of Golden Eagles when Thompson drove in Haggstrom to make it 11-7. A Frazier pinch-hit sacrifice fly would drive in Jennings, who also pinch-hit in the inning and reached on a beautiful bunt base hit down the third base line.

Saint Michael's would be able to add one more run to make it 12-8 but Frank would shut the Purple Knights down the rest of the way to pick up the save and help UMC to their fifth win of the season.

The Golden Eagles were led on game two by Kinsella, who was 3-of-4 with three runs scored and one RBI. Perez was 2-of-3 with one RBI, while Haight was 2-of-3 with two runs scored.

UMC has gone 2-3 thus far at the Winning Inning Clearwater Baseball Invitational with wins against Saint Michael's and Ohio Valley University.

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).