CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team continued their great start to the 2016 campaign with a sweep of Winona State University, 4-2 and 6-5, to open NSIC play with a 2-0 mark. The Golden Eagles improved to 9-7 (2-0 NSIC) with the victories and continue their best start in program history. Over the past two years, UMC is up to 23 wins after winning just two games over two seasons from 2013-14.

Winona State falls to 3-12 (0-2 NSIC) despite two hard-fought games against the Golden Eagles that came down to the final out. The games were played at UMC Baseball Field in Crookston, Minn., after being relocated from Winona, which was hit hard with snow. The games were the first played in Crookston in March since March 31, 2012 when UMC played two against Northern State University.

The Golden Eagles were led on the day by great pitching. UMC's four pitchers used on Thursday combined to give up just 14 hits with just two earned runs given up with 19 strikeouts, compared to just four combined free bases (walks or hit by pitches).

UMC was led in game one on the mound by Jarad Nelson (Sr., RHP, Karlstad, Minn.), who rebounded from a tough outing in Clearwater, Fla., to put up a strong performance. Nelson went six innings and gave up just one earned run on five hits with two walks allowed and seven strikeouts.

In game two, Nolan Wahlberg (Sr., RHP, Blaine, Minn.) would earn his fourth win of the year after going seven innings and giving up one earned run on eight hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
Cody Pamperin (Jr., RHP, Shakopee, Minn.) came out of the bullpen in game two and was strong, retiring all three batters he faced, two with strikeouts.

Zach Seipel (Fr., RHP, Eagan, Minn.) continued his great start to his career by earning his third and fourth saves of the season Seipel would pitch two innings and give up just one hit and deal Winona State four strikeouts. He already ties the school record for saves set by Joe Miller, who pitched at UMC from 2012-13 before transferring to University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where they competed for an NCAA Division III Championship last season.

The Golden Eagle bats were opportune on Thursday. The Golden Eagles would get five hits in game one. They were led by Kenny Perez (Sr., DH/1B, Orlando, Fla.), who went 2-of-3 with his fourth home run of the season. Ryan Haggstrom (Sr., 1B/RHP, Apple Valley, Minn.) went 1-of-2 with one run and three RBI's on his third home run of his career, a three-run shot to left, which was followed by Perez' shot.

In game two, UMC got another blast from Perez, his fifth of the season. Perez went 1-of-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Colton Haight (Sr., C/OF, Rogers, Minn.) would go 1-of-2 with two runs scored and two walks, while Reed Hjelle (Fr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) was 3-of-4 with three runs scored.

The Golden Eagles also had opportune hits from Thomas Kinsella (Sr., 2B, North Branch, Minn.), which would be the game-winning hit to drive in Hjelle in the eighth, and Riley Thompson (So., OF, Owatonna, Minn.), who had a 2 RBI swing.

UMC would break a stalemate in game one against Winona State when Haggstrom hit his three-run blast over the left field fence, driving in Ethan Mushitz (So., SS, East Grand Forks, Minn.) and Jason Angelo (So., 3B, Manteca, Calif.) to make it 3-0. In the next at-bat, Perez would hit one almost in the identical spot as Haggstrom, as UMC would leave the inning up 4-0.

Winona State would get two back in the fourth. Mitch Voter would hit a home run to left field to cut the lead to 4-1. With two outs, Ryan Nyhagen doubled and Taylor Field walked to give Winona State two on with two out. Michael Hommes would then single to drive in  Nyhagen, who had advanced on an error by Nelson.

It would come to the pitching from both teams from there as the score would stay at 4-2. That is when Seipel would come on in the ninth. After two quick outs, Andrew Geislinger would single to give the Warriors a base-runner. However, Seipel would retire Tyler Nehring to pick up the save and preserve the UMC win.

Winona State had a strong pitching performance from Mitchell Stalsberg, who went six innings and gave up four earned runs on four hits with four walks and eight strikeouts.

The Warrior bats were led in game one by Geislinger, who was 2-of-4, while Voter, was 1-of-3 with one run scored and one RBI.

In game two, Winona State would get on the board first when Voter doubled to drive in Jesus Cazares who barreled into catcher Zach Frazier (R-So., C, East Grand Forks, Minn.) who had the ball, but Cazares would be ruled safe as Winona State went up 1-0. Nehring would then hit a two-run shot to left to drive in himself and Voter to make it 3-2.

UMC would get two runs back in the second when Frazier came up with a big hit as he singled and then advanced on an error in the center field. Hjelle and Haight would come across the plate to cut the lead to 3-2.

UMC would take the lead 4-3 in the fourth as Thompson came through in the clutch with a double to left center to plate Hjelle and Haight.

However, Winona State would continue the see-saw affair as Nyhagen came through with a two-run home run to drive in himself and Nehring and put the Warriors up 5-4.

In the fifth, Perez would come through to knot it up 5-5 with his fifth home run of the season.

The score would stay even until the eighth when Kinsella came up with a big single up the middle to drive in Hjelle, which would prove to be the game-winner to make it 6-5.

Winona State got a strong performance from Daniel Karlin-Kamin, who went five innings and gave up four earned runs on six hits with eight strikeouts. The loss went to Brett Herber, who gave up one unearned run on two hits with one strikeout.

The Golden Eagles and Warriors will play a single nine-inning game tomorrow at 1 p.m. at UMC Baseball Field. The two teams were scheduled for a double-header, but they will play just one due to forecasts of high winds, low temps and potential snow.