WAYNE, Neb. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team moved their win streak to seven winning 9-8 and 17-13 over Wayne State College (Neb.). The Golden Eagles improved to 12-7 (5-0 NSIC) with the victories as they remained undefeated in NSIC play. Wayne State falls to 3-16 (0-4 NSIC) with the pair of losses. The games were played at the Pete Chapman Complex in Wayne, Neb.

The Golden Eagles continue their success under Steve Gust as they have now won 26 games in two seasons after winning just two contests the two previous seasons prior to Gust's arrival. He has helped usher in one of the biggest turnarounds in collegiate baseball with what he has done so far with UMC. 

The Golden Eagles would hang on in game one despite six runs in the bottom of the sixth for Wayne State. Minnesota Crookston would pick up a 9-8 win over Wayne State. Luke Thoma (Sr., RHP, Little Falls, Minn.) would pick up the win after pitching five innings of solid baseball. Thoma gave up just two earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts in his start. Zach Seipel (Fr., RHP, Eagan, Minn.) would pick up his school record fifth save to surpass Joe Miller's mark of four. Seipel would keep the Wildcats at bay giving up three hits and no runs in one inning with two strikeouts.

UMC would run into a similar situation in game two as they gave up seven runs in the seventh and two in the ninth as Wayne State rallied down 12-4 in the seventh to send the game to extras with a 13-13 tie. The Golden Eagles would use a clutch double from Kenny Perez (Sr., DH/1B, Orlando, Fla.) to score Ryan Haggstrom (Sr., 1B/RHP, Apple Valley, Minn.) and Ethan Mushitz (So., SS, East Grand Forks, Minn.) to give UMC the lead. 

UMC was led on the day by Thomas Kinsella (Sr., 2B, North Branch, Minn.), who went 8-of-10 with five RBI's and two runs scored. Perez also had a big day, going 4-of-9 with three runs scored and four RBI's, while Haggstrom was 3-of-7 with three RBI's and three runs scored.

Wayne State would take the early 1-0 lead on UMC in game one when Bodie Cooper singled up the middle to drive in Curtis Bussard.

UMC would come up big in the second with four runs in the second. With the bases loaded, Kinsella would come up with a clutch single to drive in Perez and move the runners. Riley Thompson (So., OF, Owatonna, Minn.) would then reach on a fielder's choice and drive in Colton Haight (Sr., C/OF, Rogers, Minn.) to put UMC up 2-1. Jason Angelo (So., 3B, Manteca, Calif.) would hit a single to drive in Reed Hjelle (Fr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) to extend the lead to 3-1. Mushitz would cap off the inning with a single through the right side to plate Patrick Higgins (Jr., OF, Eagan, Minn.) and make it 4-1.

The Golden Eagles would extend their lead with another big inning in the third, putting four more runs in the third. Kinsella would come through with another clutch single to drive in Haight and chase starter Matthew Wood. Kinsella would score on a passed ball. Angelo would hit a double to right center to drive in Thompson to extend the lead to 7-1. Mushitz would complete the big inning to drive in Angelo and make it 8-1.

The Wildcats would come through in the sixth as Nate Albrecht (Fr., LHP, Wahpeton, N.D.) came on in relief. Taner Ledezma would hit an infield single to drive in Nate Ackerman. Alex Kreft then came through with a double to left center to drive in Aaron Krier to cut the lead to 8-3. Brandon Fowler would continue the run as he singled to drive in Kreft. Wayne State would chase Albrecht. Cody Pamperin (Jr., RHP, Shakopee, Minn.) would then come on to try to get UMC out of the inning.

With the bases loaded, Cody Jenkins would come through with a single to drive in Bussard and Fowler. Albert Johnson would single to drive in Simons to cut the lead to 8-7. Pamperin would get the final out of the inning to keep UMC up 8-7.

Wayne State would get three hits in the seventh off Seipel but he would come through with the save for the Golden Eagles to earn the school record.

The loss for the Wildcats went to Wood, who went 2.1 innings and gave up five earned runs on six hits.

In game two, the start went to Jarad Nelson (Sr., RHP, Karlstad, Minn.), who would struggle and give up eight earned runs on 10 hits with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Aaron Hollcraft (Fr., LHP, Crookston, Minn.) would earn his first win of his young career after preserving the lead and going a full inning, giving up no runs on no hits with one strikeout.

The Golden Eagles would get out on the Wildcats early as they put up a seven-spot in the first inning to take the 7-0 lead. Perez would start the scoring with a single to drive in Angelo. Haight then came through with a big double to drive in Haggstrom and Mushitz to extend the advantage to 3-0. Hjelle would continue the big inning with a single up the middle to drive in Perez. Kinsella would keep things rolling with a single of his own to drive in Haight. Thompson would plate another run with a sacrifice fly to drive in Hjelle. The Golden Eagles would bat around as Angelo hit an infield single to drive in Kinsella and make it 7-0. The big inning for UMC would chase starter Keenan Breen. 

The Golden Eagles would maintain that lead until Wayne State cut the lead to 7-1 in the third with a Jenkins single to drive in Chris May. 

The Wildcats added two more in the fourth when Ackerman hit a two-run home run to drive in Ackerman and Johnson.

Wayne State added one run in the sixth as Ackerman hit another home run to cut the lead to 7-4.

The Golden Eagles would have another big inning in the seventh as they extended the lead to 12-4. The Golden Eagles were led in the inning by a Haggstrom two RBI single to drive in Thompson and Colt Trebesch (Sr., 3B/RHP, Glencoe, Minn.). 

Wayne State would respond with seven runs in the seventh by a Cooper grand slam to chase Nelson. UMC would replace him with Marcus Campbell (Sr., RHP, St. Croix Falls, Wis.), who would give up three earned runs on three hits in 1.1 innings pitched.

UMC would a run in the eighth but Wayne State responded with two in the ninth off Seipel, who had come on for the save.  Bussard would single to drive in May. Fowler then scored on a passed ball to knot it up 13-13. 

In the 10^th, Perez would come through with his big double to drive in Haggstrom and Mushitz. Hjelle would extend the lead with a single to drive in pinch-runner Timothy Scott, Jr. (Sr., OF, Macon, Ga.). Kinsella then continued his big day with a double to drive in Hjelle. 

The loss for Wayne State went to Bussard, who gave up one earned run on five hits in 1.2 innings.

The Golden Eagles and Wildcats will complete the series in Wayne, Neb. Sun., April 3 at 12 and 2:30 p.m.