Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DICKINSON, N.D. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team picked up a sweep over Dickinson State University, 7-4 and 10-9, to open up the weekend series Sat., March 5. The games were played at Astoria Field at South Side Ball Park. The Golden Eagles improve to 2-4 on the 2016 season with the sweep. Dickinson State drops to 5-7 with the two losses.

The Golden Eagles were led in game one by the pitching from Nolan Wahlberg (Sr., RHP, Blaine, Minn.), who bounced back after a tough first start of the season last weekend against Missouri S&T. Wahlberg went seven innings and gave up four earned runs on eight hits in the win.

Minnesota Crookston had seven runs on seven hits including a big fifth inning with seven runs in order to take down the Blue Hawks in game one of the weekend series.

The Golden Eagles were led in game one by the second home run in the young career of Reed Hjelle (Fr., 1B/OF, East Grand Forks, Minn.). Hjelle was 1-of-3 with two RBI's and two runs scored. Colton Haight (Sr., C/OF, Rogers, Minn.) was 2-of-2 with two RBI's and one run scored. Ryan Haggstrom (Sr., 1B, Apple Valley, Minn.) went 1-of-4 with two RBI's and one run scored.

The loss for Dickinson State went to Josh Schuller, who went 4.1 innings and gave up five earned runs on four hits with five strikeouts.

In game two, Trevor Buttermore (Sr., RHP. North St. Paul, Minn.) came out with his second-straight solid start for the Golden Eagles, to put UMC in a position to win. Buttermore went six innings and gave up four earned runs on 11 hits with three strikeouts. Luke Thoma (Sr., RHP, Little Falls, Minn.) came out of the bullpen and got the win in 1.2 innings, giving up three earned runs on three hits with three strikeouts.

Dickinson State took the early 1-0 lead as Jake Hignite hit a sacrifice fly to score Jake Young.

The Golden Eagles would respond in the top of the second as Patrick Higgins (Jr., OF, Eagan, Minn.) reached base on a Hignite error to drive in Thomas Kinsella (Sr., IF, North Branch, Minn.) Hjelle with the bases loaded. Jason Angelo (So., IF, Manteca, Calif.) would continue the scoring as he singled to left field to score Zach Frazier (So., C, Grand Rapids, Minn.) and give UMC the 3-1 lead. The lead would be extended to 4-1 as Ethan Mushitz (So., IF, East Grand Forks, Minn.) singled to right to drive in Higgins.

Higgins would come through with a clutch double in the top of the third, again with the bases loaded, to drive in Haight and Hjelle to make it 6-1. Angelo would follow up with a single to plate Frazier and Higgins and make it 8-1.

The Blue Hawks would cut the lead to 8-3 in the bottom of third. Jacob Cuch would double to left center to drive in Sagan Osborne. Hignite would then single to plate Cuch.

UMC would add a run in the top of the fifth as Higgins came through again with a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Frazier and make it 9-3.

Dickinson State would cut the lead to 9-4 in the bottom of the fifth as the Blue Hawks were led by a Cuch groundout to drive in Young.

Dickinson State would chase Buttermore in the bottom of the seventh as Dylan Skabo doubles and Young singled with no outs. Zac Carrillo (Jr., RHP, Manteca, Calif.) would come on in relief and get UMC out of any trouble.

The Blue Hawks added a run in the bottom of the eighth on a Hignite solo home-run.

Hignite would come through again in the bottom of the ninth with a three-run shot off Thoma to drive in Young and Osborne to force extra innings.

The Golden Eagles would come through in the top of the 10^th as Kenny Perez (Sr., DH, Orlando, Fla.) hit a pinch-hit single to drive in Kinsella, who tripled to lead off the inning.

Thoma would be able to get the Golden Eagles out of the bottom of the 10^th to give UMC the extra innings wins.

UMC was led in game two by Higgins, who was 1-of-3 with two runs scored and three RBI's. Angelo was 2-of-6 with three RBI's, while Hjelle was 2-of-4 with two runs scored and Frazier had three runs scored with two walks on the day. Angelo and Higgins, who hit in the No. 1 and No. 9 slots, went a combined 3-of-9 with two runs and six RBI's in game two.

The Golden Eagles will continue their series as they take on Dickinson State Sun., Feb. 6 at 12 and 2:30 p.m. C.T. at Astoria Field at South Side Ball Park in Dickinson, N.D.