CROOKSTON, Minn.-  The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team picked up the split against Wayne State College (Neb.) Sun., April 12 at the UMC Baseball Field. The Golden Eagles used a three-run home run from Thomas Kinsella (Jr., IF, North Branch, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) and a game-winning to single by Patrick Higgins (So., OF, Eagan, Minn./Criminal Justice) to drive in Ryan Haggstrom (Jr., 1B/RHP, Apple Valley, Minn./Accounting) and overcome a three-run seventh inning deficit. The Golden Eagles would defeat the Wildcats in game one 7-6. Wayne State bounced back with an 8-4 win over UMC in game two.

Sunday's games were highlighted by home runs as the two team's combined for nine home runs in the two games. The Golden Eagles improved to 9-25 (3-15 NSIC) with the split. Wayne State moved to 15-17 (10-10 NSIC)

Jarad Nelson (Jr., RHP, Karlstad, Minn./Education) would get the start in game one and go 6.1 innings, giving up five earned runs on 13 hits. Cody Pamperin (So., RHP, Shakopee, Minn./Golf and Turf Management) would come on in relief in game two, pitching 0.2 innings and giving up no runs on one hit as he earned his second win of the year.

Wayne State's Nathan Ackerman would start out the scoring on the day, hitting his first of three home runs on Sunday to put the Wildcats up 1-0 in the third. Tanner Simons would add on to the lead with a single to drive in John Roberts.

The Golden Eagles would respond as Zach Frazier (R-Fr., C, Grand Rapids, Minn./Natural Resources) belted his first career home run to cut the lead to 2-1.

UMC would take the lead in the fourth as Jesse Jennings (Sr., OF, Robbinsdale, Minn./Criminal Justice) went yard over the left field fence to drive in Kenny Perez (Jr., DH/1B, Orlando, Fla./Health Science) and knot it up 3-2

The Wildcats would knot the game up at 3-3 in the fifth when Simons singled to drive in Ackerman.

Wayne State would take the lead 6-3 in the seventh as Ackerman and Albert Johnson both hit home runs. Johnson would drive in Roberts on his swing.

Looking to be down and out, the Golden Eagles would come up in a big way. With Ryan Zweck on the mound in relief, UMC would chase him as Kinsella came up in a big moment and blasted a home run to drive in himself, Colton Haight (Jr., C/OF, Rogers, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) and Frazier. With the game now knotted at 6-6, Haggstrom doubled and Perez was intentionally walked putting two on with two out. The Wildcats would insert Conner Keating to get the final out, but Higgins one this battled with a bloop single to left to score Haggstrom as the Golden Eagles pulled off the comeback win.

UMC was led by Kinsella, who was 2-of-4 with three runs batted in (RBI's) and one run scored. Haight would go 2-of-4 with one run scored. Jennings also had a strong game one, going 2-of-3 with two RBI's and one run scored.

In game two, lefty Alan Frank (Sr., LHP, St. Michael, Minn./Applied Studies) got the start for UMC. Frank would suffer the loss in the 8-4 game, going 3.1 innings and giving up fie earned runs on five hits.

Wayne State would start out game two as Ackerman tripled to drive in Curtis Bussard in the first. They would extend their lead to 2-0 with a Michael Herman sacrifice fly to plate Ackerman.

The Golden Eagles would cut the lead to 2-1 in the first when Haggstrom doubled to drive in Dalton Parks (Jr., OF, West Valley City, Utah/Sports and Rec Management).

UMC would tie up the game at 2-2 in the second as David Anaya (So., 2B/SS, Tucson, Ariz./Health Science) scored on a wild pitch.

In the third, Wayne State would go up 4-2 as Ackerman belted his third home run of the day to drive in Bussard.

The Golden Eagles would quickly respond though to bring in within 4-3 as Kinsella scored on the passed ball.

Wayne State would extend their lead to 6-3 in the fourth when Zac Leighton singled to drive in Simons and Johnson.

The Golden Eagles would cut it to 6-4 in the fourth as Higgins hit the fourth homer of the day for UMC.

Wayne State would add two more runs in the game to make it 8-4, including the ninth home run of the day between the two teams, this time from Johnson.

Dylan McGill would get the game two win for the Wildcats, going five innings and giving up three earned runs on six hits. Nick Ragan would get the save.

UMC would get strong relief outings on the day as four pitchers combined to give up just two earned runs on 7 hits in 5.2 innings of relief. Marcus Campbell (Jr., RHP, St. Croix Falls, Wis./Golf and Turf Management) would pitch a perfect 0.2 innings pitched. Trevor Buttermore (Jr., RHP, North St. Paul, Minn./Criminal Justice) would go one inning and give up one unearned run in two hits. Richie Navratil (Sr., RHP, Blansko, Czech Republic/Management) went two innings and would give up one earned run on two hits. Pamperin would go two innings and not give up a run on three hits.

UMC was led in game two by Higgins, who was 2-of-3 with one runs scored and one RBI. Perez went 2-of-4 on the game, while Parks was 2-of-3 with one run scored.

The Golden Eagles will return to action Wed., April 15 at 1 and 3 p.m. against University of Minnesota Duluth at UMC Baseball Field.

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

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The University of Minnesota Crookston is a NCAA Division II university located in the Red River Valley of Northwest Minnesota. UMC sponsors 11 intercollegiate athletic teams with membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate conference (NSIC) and the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). The NSIC is a 16-team conference with schools situated in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska.