WAYNE, Neb. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team picked up a split Sunday at the Pete Chapman Complex as they fell 20-9 in game one but bounced back with a 10-9 comeback win in the ninth. The Golden Eagles picked up the series win over Wayne State, their second-straight series victory in the NSIC and their second-ever series win in the NSIC in a series of three games or more.

Minnesota Crookston is now just one win shy of their 2015 total for wins, which was 14. Steve Gust has led the Golden Eagles to 27 wins in under two seasons.

The Golden Eagles move to 13-8 (6-1 NSIC) with the split on Sunday. They are currently in third place in the NSIC after being picked to finish 14^th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Minnesota Crookston is behind only St. Cloud State University and Augustana University in the NSIC standings. Wayne State is now at 4-17 (1-5 NSIC) on the season.

Minnesota Crookston would rally down 9-7 in the top of the ninth of the second game. With one out, Ethan Mushitz (So., SS, East Grand Forks, Minn.) would come up with a single to keep the rally alive. Ryan Haggstrom (Sr., 1B/RHP, Apple Valley, Minn.) would then come up big with a single to center field to move Mushitz to third with just one out. After a strikeout, Colton Haight (Sr., C/OF, Rogers, Minn.) would step up in a big moment as the senior reached on a throwing error, allowing Haggstrom and Mushitz to score to knot it up 9-9. Reed Hjelle (Fr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) would then follow it up with a clutch single to right field to drive in Haight to put the Golden Eagles up 10-9, a lead they would hold on to.

Nolan Wahlberg (Sr., RHP, Blaine, Minn.) got the win in the complete game as he went nine innings and gave up seven earned runs on 14 hits with five strikeouts. Wahlberg moves to 5-1 on the season with Sunday's game two victory.

UMC was led in game two by Hjelle, who was 3-of-5 with two RBI's and two runs scored. Hjelle has moved his batting average to .407 on the season with 19 runs scored, four home runs and 18 RBI's as he continues a stellar freshman season. Haggstrom would also continue a great start to the season, going 3-of-5 in game one with three runs scored. Haggstrom is hitting 390 on the season with a team-high 24 runs scored. He also had 24 RBI's on the season.

In game one, the Golden Eagles would give up eight runs in the fifth and four in the sixth as theu would fall 20-9 in game one. Trevor Buttermore (Sr., RHP, North St. Paul, Minn.) would suffer the loss as he had his toughest start of the season, giving up five earned runs on nine hits with two strikeouts.

Wayne State's Taner Ledezma got the game one win after giving up five earned runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts.

UMC was led in game one by Haggstrom, who was 3-of-4 with two runs scored. Kenny Perez (Sr., DH/1B, Orlando, Fla.) would go 3-of-4 with four RBI's and one run scored, while Hjelle was 2-of-4 with two RBI's.

Wayne State would be led in game one by a two RBI single from Tanner Simons in the fifth to drive in Aaron Krier and Alex Kreft. Kreft would come through with a two RBI double in the inning to plate Chris May and Nathan Ackerman. In the sixth, Kreft would come through again with a home run to drive in himself and Ackerman.

Perez would hit his team-leading sixth home run of the season in game one. Perez would also have a two RBI double in the third to drive in Haggstrom and Mushitz.

In game two, UMC would take the 1-0 lead in the first when Perez singled to drive in Haggstrom.

Wayne State would respond in the bottom of the first when Cody Jenkins hit a solo home run over the center field fence to even it up.

Hjelle would put UMC up in the second as he hit a solo home run, his fourth of the season, to make it 2-1.

Zach Frazier (So., C, Grand Rapids, Minn.) would hit a three-run home run in the fourth to drive in himself, Thomas Kinsella (Sr., 2B, North Branch, Minn.) and Hjelle to put UMC up 5-1 early.

Wayne State would respond in the fourth. Bodie Cooper would double to drive in Jenkins. Ackerman would then single to right to plate Cooper to cut the lead to 5-3. The Wildcats would even up the score as Kreft came through again for Wayne State with a two-run home run to make it 5-5.

The rally would continue for the Wildcats in the fifth as Jenkins doubled to drive in a run. Albert Johnson then doubled to drive in Jenkins. Ackerman would then single to plate Johnson and Chris May would reach on a Mushitz error to drive in Ackerman and put the Wildcats up 9-5.

The Golden Eagles would get a run back in the seventh as Perez singled and Haggstrom would come around and score on an error.

UMC would get another one back in the eighth as Frazier blasted his second home run of the game, and his third of the season, to cut the lead to 9-7.

That would get the Golden Eagles to the top of the ninth as they would come through. With runners on the corner, Haight would reach on an error at second as Haggstrom and Mushitz would score to make it 9-9. That is when Hjelle, a freshman, would come through with the game-winning single to drive in Haight and make it 10-9.

Wahlberg would retire 3-of-4 faced in the bottom of the ninth, including two strikeouts, as the Golden Eagles would hang on for the win to earn the split.

The Golden Eagles will look to continue their hot start to the season as they are slated to host University of Sioux Falls Wed., April 6 at 1:30 and 4 p.m. at the UMC Baseball Field.