CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team fell in a pair of games to Concordia University-St. Paul Sat., April 1 at Jim Karn Field in Crookston, Minn. The Golden Eagles put up a fight in the final inning of both games, but would ultimately fall 4-2 and 9-6 as they struggled to hit Golden Bear pitchers Gus Varland and Kevin Woebke on the day.

Minnesota Crookston falls to 11-13 (5-7 NSIC) with the doubleheader loss. Concordia-St. Paul improves to 14-10 (8-4 NSIC) with the pair of victories. The Golden Eagles are sitting in a tie for eighth place in the conference standings. Concordia-St. Paul is in sixth place in the NSIC standings after the victories.

In game one, U of M Crookston pitcher Cody Pamperin (Sr., RHP, Shakopee, Minn.) would get the start for the Golden Eagles. He would have a strong outing, going seven innings and giving up just two earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts. He would fall to 1-3 as he would get the loss for the day.

Varland would best Pamperin, despite the strong outing from the U of M Crookston senior. The CSP pitcher would go seven innings and give up two earned runs on six hits with 11 strikeouts. He improves to 4-2 with the win.

The first game would come down to one inning for the Golden Eagles as CSP would plate three runs in the fourth inning. With one out, Carter Schmidt would reach on a fielder's choice and Isaac Hormann would be safe at second after Pamperin attempted to get the lead runner out. The next play would also hurt Minnesota Crookston as Ethan Mushitz (Jr., SS, East Grand Forks, Minn.) fumbled the ball at short stop and failed to get over to make the play at second. With the bases loaded, Mickey Leius would reach on a fielder's choice and CSP would be called safe at second on the attempt by the Golden Eagles, allowing Hormann to cross the plate.

With the bases still loaded, Zach Elder would single through the right side to plate Schmidt. Patrick Bordewick would then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Roch Whittaker to make it 3-0. Pamperin would get out of any further trouble with a strike out of Connor Olson.

The Golden Bears would add a run in the top of the sixth as Leius scored on a passed ball by Zach Frazier (R-Jr., C, Grand Rapids, Minn.) to make it 4-0.

Minnesota Crookston would threaten in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Anthony Stewart would come up with a clutch double to deep center field to drive in Jeremy Spinner (R-Jr., IF, Phoenix, Ariz.) and Patrick Amerson (Sr., IF, Eloy, Ariz.). Minnesota Crookston would pull within two, however Varland came up with a strike out of the final batter of the game to hold the 4-2 win.

The Golden Eagles were led in game one by Spinner, who was 2-of-3 with one run scored. Amerson went 1-of-1 with one run scored, while Stewart went 1-of-4 with two RBI's.

In game two, the Golden Bears would use a big seventh inning with five runs to come back from a 4-3 deficit to pick up the 9-6 win.

Parker Hanson (So., RHP, Hawley, Minn.) would suffer the loss after hitting a bump in the road in the seventh inning. Hanson would give up four runs on four hits in the seventh inning after giving up just three earned runs on five hits in the first six innings of Saturday's game. Hanson would end up giving up seven earned runs on nine hits with three strikeouts.

The win for Concordia-St. Paul went to Woebke, who gave up just three earned runs on three hits with seven strikeouts. Connor Hurley would struggle in the ninth but would get the Golden Bears out of any further trouble to pick up the save. He would give up two earned runs on three hits in two innings on the mound.

Minnesota Crookston got on the scoreboard quickly with three runs in the first inning. Hjelle would single up the middle to drive in Stewart. James Cullinane (Jr., OF, San Francisco, Calif.) would then come across the plate on a Woebke balk, which also moved Hjelle to third. Hjelle would come around to score on a Mitchell Bornhauser (Jr., OF, Northfield, Minn.) safety squeeze bunt to drive in the run. 

The Golden Eagles would add a run as Cullinane crossed the plate when Hjelle was caught in a pickle between first and second.

The Golden Bears would come close to making up the deficit in the fourth inning with a three-run home run over the left field fence by Zach Elder to drive in himself, along with Leius and Whittaker.

Concordia-St. Paul would take the lead from Minnesota Crookston in the seventh when Hanson ran into his struggles. Tanner Holmquist would double to left field to drive in Olson and Adam Hildebrandt. Schmidt would then single to plate Holmquist to make it 6-4. Hanson would then be pulled for Matthew Dallas (Sr., RHP, Boise, Idaho), who would inherit Schmidt on first. An Elder single to right field would bring Schmidt home to make it 7-4. Whittaker would cross the plate on a wild pitch by Dallas to make it 8-4 in favor of CSP. The Golden Eagles would get out of any further trouble with a line out to Mushitz.

Minnesota Crookston would make a late charge in the bottom of the ninth. Pinch-hitter Patrick Higgins (Sr., OF, Eagan, Minn.) and Mushitz would open the inning with back-to-back singles. With the bases loaded, pinch-hitter Scott Mortenson (Jr., OF, East Grand Forks, Minn.) came through in the clutch with a single to right field to plate Mushitz and Wyatt Peppel (R-Fr., OF, Badger, Minn.). Hurley would get the save and get out of the game with a strikeout as the Golden Bears won 9-6.

Cullinane paced Minnesota Crookston in game two as he went 2-of-4 with two runs scored. Mortenson was 1-of-1 with two RBI's. Hjelle went 1-of-3 with one run scored and one RBI.

Dallas would give up no earned runs on one hit with one strikeout. Cayden Barta (Sr., RHP, Fargo, N.D.) also pitched giving up no runs and no hits in his inning on the bump. Wyatt Huso (R-Jr., RHP, Eagan, Minn.) would pitch the final frame, giving up one earned run on two hits with two strikeouts.

Minnesota Crooskton and Concordia-St. Paul will wrap up the conference series Sun., April 2 at 12 and 2:30 p.m. at Jim Karn Field in Crookston.