MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team opened up the 2017 season with a split with Minot State University on the morning of Sat., Feb. 25 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn.

The Golden Eagles fell 3-2 in game one as Minot State got a game-winning single from Geordie McDougall to score Trevaun Smith in the top of the seventh inning. UMC would bounce back in game two with the 5-4 win led by a Reed Hjelle (So., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) RBI triple in the eighth inning to drive in Jason Angelo (Jr., 2B, Manteca, Calif.).

Minnesota Crookston is 1-1 on the season with the overnight split. Minot State is also sitting at 1-1. The doubleheader started at 10 a.m. Fri., Sept. 24 and went into the early hours of Saturday morning.

Senior Cody Pamperin (RHP, Shakopee, Minn.) got the start in game one for the Golden Eagles. Pamperin would pitch four effective innings for UMC as he gave up no earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts.

UMC would finally lift the lift in the third frame after a scoreless first 2.5 innings of baseball. Angelo would get things going with a single with one out. James Cullinane (Jr., OF, San Francisco, Calif.) would then walk to give UMC two base-runners with one out. Hjelle would come through with a RBI single to move Cullinane to third and plate Angelo. Minot State would get out of the inning with Cullinane stranded at third, but UMC would have the lead 1-0.

Minot State would even up the score at 1-1 in the top of the fourth. Sean Alp would reach base on an error by short stop Ethan Mushitz (Jr., East Grand Forks, Minn.), allowing Paul Vogelsang to score.

UMC would take the lead again in the fifth as Hjelle came through in the clutch once again. This time he singled to drive in Anthony Stewart (R-Jr., OF, Oak Harbor, Wash.) to put Minnesota Crookston up 2-1.

The Beavers would knot the game up at 2-2 in the sixth when Wyatt Schlosser hit a sacrifice fly to left field to plate McDougall.

Minot State would get the deciding run in the top of the seventh as McDougall singled to drive in pinch-runner Smith.

UMC would get the base-runners in the bottom of the seventh as pinch-hitter Patrick Higgins (Sr., OF, Eagan, Minn.) was hit by a pitch and Cullinane singled. However, Minot State would get out of any danger with a strike out of Hjelle to preserve the 3-2 win.

Minnesota Crookston was led in game one by Hjelle, who was 2-of-3 with two RBI's. Angelo would go 1-of-2 with one run scored, while Cullinane, Mushitz and Riley Thompson (Jr., OF, Owatonna, Minn.) were all 1-of-3.

Minot State gave the start to Kendal Daniels, who would give up two earned runs on four hits in four innings pitched. The win for the Beavers would go to reliever Jeremy Sylvester, who gave up no runs on two hits with five strikeouts.

The loss for UMC would go to Zach Seipel (So., RHP, Eagan, Minn.) as he gave up two earned runs on seven hits in two innings pitched.

Jacob Butcher (R-Jr., RHP, Palmer, Alaska) would also pitch for Minnesota Crookston. He had an effective fifth inning as he gave up just one hit and no runs with one strikeout.

Parker Hanson (So., RHP, Hawley, Minn.) got the start in game two for Minnesota Crookston. The transfer from Dakota County Technical College would go 3.1 innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts and four walks.

Nate Albrecht (So., LHP, Wahpeton, N.D.) would come on in relief and get the win out of the pen for Minnesota Crookston. Albrecht would go 3.2 innings and give up two earned runs on five hits with one strikeout.

Justin Yutrzenka (Fr., RHP, Argyle, Minn.) would have a big debut in the Maroon and Gold. Yutrzenka would go two innings and earn his first career save. He would give up no runs on two hits with two strikeouts.

The Beavers got the scoring in game two started early as Michael Borst singled to drive in Jordan Schulz in the top of the first.

Minnesota Crookston would set something brewing in the top of the third. David Anaya (R-Jr., UT, Tucson, Ariz.) got UMC started with a lead-off single. With one out, Stewart would come through with a double and move Anaya to third to give UMC two runners in scoring position with one out.

Angelo would then come through with a two RBI single to drive in Stewart and Anaya. Minot State would strike out the final two batters of the inning to get out of any further damage. However, UMC would still come out of the inning with a 2-1 advantage. 

Minot State evened up the score in the fourth when Kyle Williamson singled to drive in McDougall. The Beavers would be able to drive Hanson from the game as they would load the bases. However, Albrecht came up big with two crucial outs to keep the game knotted up at 2-2.

Minot State added two runs in the fifth. Celestino Rodriguez would start things out with a double to lead off the inning. The Beavers would get their first run of the frame as Vogelsang singled to drive in Rodriguez. Minot State added one more to make it 4-2 as Alp flied out to center field to drive in Justin Demary.

UMC came back right in the top of the sixth with two runs. Angelo would lead off the inning with a double. He would score when Hjelle grounded into a double play. Minnesota Crookston added their fourth run of the game on a triple from Zach Frazier (R-Jr., C, Grand Rapids, Minn.) to plate Mushitz.

The game would stay knotted up at 4-4 until the top of the eighth. Minnesota Crookston would get things started as Angelo again led off the inning with a hit, this time a single. With one out, Hjelle would come up in a crucial spot and hit a triple to plate Angelo. The Beavers would get out of any further damage.

Minot State would be unable to string anything else together in the final two innings as Yutrzenka limited the Beavers to just two hits as he picked up the save and Minnesota Crookston picked up the 5-4 victory.

Angelo had a big game for UMC as he was 3-of-5 with two RBI's and two runs scored. Stewart would go 2-of-4 with one run scored. Hjelle would go 1-of-4 with one RBI, while Frazier was 1-of-2 with one RBI.

Demary suffered the loss in relief, giving up just one run on three hits in three innings pitched. Tanner Alexander got the start and went six innings, giving up four earned runs on five hits.

Minnesota Crookston will continue their trip as they take on Minnesota State University-Mankato at U.S. Bank Stadium at 9:30 p.m. Sat., Feb. 26.