CROOKSTON, Minn.- The University of Minnesota Crookston picked up a split Friday afternoon at the UMC Baseball Field in their home opener against Winona State University. The Golden Eagles fell 12-1 in game one but bounced back with a stand out performance by Nolan Wahlberg (Jr., RHP, Blaine, Minn./Criminal Justice) on the mound, paired with strong defense and clutch hits to pick up a 4-2 win in game two.

The win is Wahlberg's fourth of the season, moving him into first place for career wins at UMC. The victory is also UMC's first win over Winona State since May 8, 2005. The Golden Eagles improve to 8-19 (2-10 NSIC) with Friday's win. The Warriors fall to 9-15 (7-5 NSIC).

Wahlberg put together one of his strongest outings of the season in the game two victory for the Golden Eagles. The 6-6 junior threw a complete game, giving up just two earned runs on nine hits on 125 pitches. Wahlberg moves to 4-3 on the season with the victory.

The Golden Eagles got the scoring started in game two in the bottom of the second when Ryan Haggstrom (Jr., 1B/RHP, Apple Valley, Minn./Accounting) scored on a Thomas Kinsella (Jr., IF, North Branch, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) ground out.

UMC would be able to add three runs in the bottom of the third. Colton Haight (Jr., C/OF, Rogers, Minn./Sports and Rec Management) would come through with the biggest hit of the game as he doubled down the left field line and moved to third on the throw, scoring Ethan Mushitz (Fr., 2B/SS, East Grand Forks, Minn./Criminal Justice) and Dalton Parks (Jr., OF, West Valley City, Utah/Sports and Rec Management). Haggstrom would follow it up with an infield single to drive in Haight to extend the lead to 4-0.

Wahlberg would get into a little trouble in the top of the sixth. Mitchell Heid would single to drive in Jordan Plamann and Jesus Cazares to cut the lead to 4-2. With just one out, Wahlberg would step up and strike out Nathan Krause and get Taylor Field to fly out to right to get out of any more trouble.

Wahlberg would retire six out of seven batters faced in the seventh and eighth to maintain the 4-2 advantage.

With one out in the top of the ninth, Field would hit in an infield single to put the tying run at the plate. Kipp Youngquist would drive one to left center where Haight, UMC's top catcher who has just started playing outfield in the games he doesn't catch, made a diving grab to retire the Warrior. Wahlberg would then get the next batter to line out as the Golden Eagles picked up the win.

UMC was led by Haggstrom, who was 2-of-4 with one run scored and one RBI. Haight was 1-of-4 with two RBI's and one run scored.

Winona State was led in game two by Cazares, who was 2-of-4 with one run scored. Plamann was 2-of-3 with one run scored.

The loss for the Warriors in game two went to Hayden Krimmer, who went 3.1 innings, giving up four runs, one of them earned, on four hits. Scott Freiburger came on in relief and pitched well, giving up no runs on one hit in 4.2 innings of relief.

Game one didn't go the way of the Golden Eagles. Trevor Buttermore (Jr., RHP, North St. Paul, Minn./Criminal Justice) got the start and would pitch well early, but would give up eight runs, seven of them earned, on 10 hits.

The Warriors started the scoring in the top of the first when Plamann singled to drive in Cazares to make it 1-0.

The Golden Eagles would get a run back in the bottom of the second as Kenny Perez (Jr., DH/1B, Orlando, Fla./Health Science) scored on a Jesse Jennings (Sr., OF, Robbinsdale, Minn./Criminal Justice) ground out.

With the score tied 1-1, Winona State would try to score in the fourth on a Field line out to right field, but Jennings would show off his arm, gunning down Nehring at the plate on a rocket to the plate where Haight made the tag.

The Warriors would get to Buttermore in the fifth with nine runs on six hits and one error. The scoring onslaught was led by a Cazares three-run home run. In addition, Youngquist hit a two-run single to drive in Krause and Heid.

Winona State added two runs in the top of the sixth as Field hit a sacrifice fly to score Heid and Nehring scored on an error by Patrick Amerson (So., IF, Eloy, Ariz./Management)) as third base.

The win for Winona State went to Chase Blazier, who went seven innings and gave up one unearned run on seven hits.

The Warriors were led by Youngquist, who was 2-of-5 with two RBI's and two runs scored, and Cazares, who was 2-of-3 with three RBI's and two runs scored.

UMC looked to Haggstrom, who was 3-of-4 on the game. David Anaya (So., 2B/SS, Tucson, Ariz./Health Science) was 2-of-3.

The Golden Eagles will finish up their series against Winona State Sat., April 4 at 12 and 2 p.m. at UMC
Baseball Field.

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 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.