Box Score ST. CLOUD, Minn. -  No. 3 St. Cloud State University had 21 hits and blasted three home runs as they took down the University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team 17-3 in their first game of the 2016 NSIC Baseball Tournament at Dick Putz Field. The game was the first for UMC in the NSIC Tournament since 2001. The Golden Eagles will play Northern State University at 6:30 p.m. at Dick Putz Field in an elimination game.

Minnesota Crookston falls to 25-20 on the season with the loss, while St. Cloud State improves to 39-8. The Huskies will advance to play Augustana University at 10 a.m. at Putz Field. University of Minnesota Duluth and Concordia University, St. Paul will play in the other winner's bracket game at 10 a.m. at Joe Faber Field. Minnesota State University, Mankato and University of Sioux Falls will play in the other elimination game at 7 p.m. at Faber Field.

The loss for the Golden Eagles would go to UMC's ace Nolan Wahlberg (Sr., RHP, Blaine, Minn.), who went two innings and gave up 10 earned runs on 14 hits.

The win for St. Cloud State would go to Dominic Austing in relief, who would throw three innings and give up one earned run on four hits.

UMC's bats were led by Reed Hjelle (Fr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.), who went 2-of-4 with two RBI's and one run scored.

St. Cloud State looked to Brandon Arnold, who was 3-of-4 with two RBI's and two runs scored, while Zak Hoffman was 2-of-4 with two RBI's and three runs scored and Jackson Goplen was 4-of-5 with four RBI's and three runs scored.

Kenny Perez (Sr., DH, Orlando, Fla.) would crush a ball to dead center field in the first inning with Jason Angelo (So., 3B, Manteca, Calif.) on base but Arnold would make a great play in center to keep UMC at bay.

The Huskies would look to get things started in the bottom of the first with two on and no out, but on a line drive off the bat of Reese Gregory, Ryan Haggstrom (Sr., 1B, Apple Valley, Minn.) would sky, using his ups and athletic ability to make the play and retire the runner at first to double the Husky runner up as UMC kept it at 0-0.

St. Cloud State would get things started as they took the 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second as Zak Hoffman blasted a ball off the Central Minnesota Orthodontics advertisement sign for a two-run home run. The Huskies would add a pair of runs as Judd Davis hit one to the fence in center, driving in Zach Metzger. Goplen would come in on a Riley Thompson throwing error to make it 4-0. Arnold would chip in, driving in Davis to extend the lead to 5-0.

The Huskies would continue their onslaught as Gregory hit a bomb over the center field fence to drive in two and put St. Cloud State up 7-0 in the bottom of the second. They would add their eighth run of the inning as Karl Sorensen singled to drive in Zach Hoffmann. UMC would be able to stop the damage there with a great pick-off throw to first from Zach Frazier (So., C, Grand Rapids, Minn.) and a fly ball.

St. Cloud State would add a pair of runs in third as they would chase Wahlberg from the game, making it 10-0.

The Huskies would pull starting pitcher Kevin Bolder in the fourth inning to save his arm and put in Austing.

Hjelle would lead off the inning for the Golden Eagles with a triple that hit off the right fielder diving down the right field line. His former East Grand Forks High School teammate Ethan Mushitz (So., SS, East Grand Forks, Minn.) would pick him up with a double to deep center to drive in Hjelle and make it 10-1. Austing would get two strikeouts and a fly ball to pitch out of any more damage.

Colt Trebesch (Sr., RHP/3B, Glencoe, Minn.) would get through an easy bottom of the fourth as he kept the score at 10-1 for the UMC batters.

Angelo would lead off the fifth with a bloop single. However, Haight would ground into a double play and Austing would get out of trouble for the Huskies.

St. Cloud State would pad their lead in the bottom of the fifth with an Arnold solo home run to make it 11-1, the third home run of the game for the Huskies.

St. Cloud State would push their lead out to 14-1 in the bottom of the sixth led by a Goplen double to drive in pinch-runner Logan Swann and Zak Hoffman.

The Huskies would add a run in the bottom of the seventh as Zach Hoffmann scored on a throwing error by Mushitz. They add a pair of runs as Goplen doubled to drive in pair and put St. Cloud State up 17-1.

UMC would cut the lead to 17-3 in the eighth as Hjelle singled up the middle to drive in Haggstrom and Dalton Parks (Sr., OF, West Valley City, Utah). However, that would be all UMC could do as they fell 17-3.

The Golden Eagles will look to rebound and continue fighting in their first NSIC Baseball Tournament appearance since 2001 as they face Northern State at 6:30 p.m.