CROOKSTON, Minn. – Two Zach Seipel (So., RHP, Eagan, Minn.) saves and a six-hit day for Ethan Mushitz (Jr., SS, East Grand Forks, Minn.) headlined a Saturday sweep for University of Minnesota Crookston over Upper Iowa University. The games were played at UMC Baseball Field on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in the Red River Valley.

The Golden Eagles used their explosive bats in game one on top of a strong outing from Jacob Butcher (R-Jr., RHP, Palmer, Alaska), who is the winningest pitcher of staff with five victories. Minnesota Crookston had 13 runs on 16 hits in the 13-7 win powered by a Mushitz three-run home run. Seipel would pick up his eighth save of the year to preserve the game one win.

In game two, Minnesota Crookston was led by 11 hits, including a 3-of-5 game for Mushitz including two runs and one RBI. Seipel would shut down the Peacocks in the ninth inning for his league-leading ninth save of the year.

Minnesota Crookston improved to 18-20 (12-14) as they took 3-of-4 games from Upper Iowa on the weekend. The series was an important one as the Golden Eagles moved up three spots from 11^th to a tie for eighth after the three victories. Upper Iowa drops to 14-18 (10-14 NSIC) despite a strong effort in four great baseball games on the weekend.

Game One
Butcher got the nod in game one for Minnesota Crookston. The reigning NSIC Pitcher of the Week built on his recent successes as he gave up just three earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks in five innings.

Minnesota Crookston opened up the scoring in the first when Reed Hjelle (So., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Anthony Stewart (R-Jr., OF, Oak Harbor, Wash.).

The Golden Eagles would add to their lead in the second when Jeremy Spinner (Sr., IF, Phoenix, Ariz.) walked with the bases loaded to score James Cullinane (Jr., OF San Francisco, Calif.) Upper Iowa pitcher Ryan Munoz would get out of any further damage as the Golden Eagles stranded three runners.

The Peacocks would take a bite out of the led in the bottom of the second when Zackary Cain scored on a Butcher wild pitch to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Minnesota Crookston got the run back in the top of the third as Cullinane singled to left field to plate Hjelle to make it 3-1.

Upper Iowa would even the slate in the bottom of the third. Anthony Calton drove the ball over the fence in right center to cut the lead to 3-2. The Peacocks evened up the score 3-3 when Cain doubled to left center to drive in Luis Ravelo.

Upper Iowa went ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth as Jaime Ramos singled to left center to drive in Mitch Moser.

The Golden Eagles countered right back in the top of the fifth. David Olson (Sr., C/IF, Stillwater, Minn.) scored on a wild pitch to knot the game up 4-4. Brandon Kresl (Sr., 1B, Crookston, Minn.) then continued his hot streak as a pinch hitter with a single to left field to plate Cullinane. The scoring continued two batters later when Jason Angelo (Jr., IF, Manteca, Calif.) singled through the left side to drive in Mushitz. In the next at-bat, Hjelle singled to plate Stewart to push the lead to 8-4.

The Peacocks made a run for the lead in the bottom of the sixth. After Jayden Grover (Fr., RHP, Cooperstown, N.D.) loaded the bases in relief, Ramos would come through with a bases clearing double to cut the Minnesota Crookston lead to 8-7. Seipel would come on to get the Golden Eagles out of trouble and preserve the lead. He would give up two walks but would get three outs to preserve the 8-7 lead.

Minnesota Crookston padded the lead in the top of the seventh. Patrick Higgins (Sr., OF, Eagan, Minn.) singled in Stewart, who had tripled in the previous at-bat. Cullinane singled later in the inning to drive in Patrick Amerson (Sr., IF, Eloy, Ariz.). Mushitz put a stamp on the inning with a three-run blast to center field to plate himself, Cullinane and Olson and move the lead to 13-7.

Seipel walked the first batter of the bottom of the seventh but struck out the final three to pick up his eighth save of the year and preserve the game one win.

Minnesota Crookston was led in game one by Mushitz, who went 3-of-4 with three RBI's and two runs scored. Cullinane went 3-of-4 with two RBI's and three runs scored, while Stewart was 2-of-3 with three runs scored.
The loss for Upper Iowa went to Munoz, who gave up six earned runs on nine hits with four walks and seven strikeouts.

Game Two
Parker Hanson (So., RHP, Hawley, Minn.) got the game two start for Minnesota Crookston. He would go six innings and give up six earned runs on eight hits with four strikeouts in the win.
Upper Iowa started the scoring in the first in game two when Jake Greco grounded out to drive in Calton.

The Golden Eagles would even up the slate 1-1 in the fourth as Scott Mortenson (Jr., OF, East Grand Forks, Minn.) hit a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Mushitz. Minnesota Crookston took the lead later in the inning when Stewart singled to center to field to drive in Zach Frazier (R-Jr., C, Grand Rapids, Minn.) and Higgins to make it 3-1.

Minnesota Crookston's bats caught fire in the top of the fifth as they added four runs to lead. A Mushitz triple down the left field line scored the first run of the inning as he drove in Cullinane. Higgins then singled in the next at-bat to drive in Mushitz. With two men on, Frazier came through with a triple of his own down the right field line to drive in Mortenson and Higgins to move the lead to 7-1.

The Peacocks cut the lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the fifth. Dominic Hillesheim opened up the scoring with a double to drive in Mitch Moser. Later in the frame, Ramos would come in on a wild pitch.
Upper Iowa got one more run in the fourth on a solo home run by Ravelo to cut the deficit to 7-4.

They would pull within 7-6 in the seventh as they got to Hanson and reliever Owen Ellefson (Jr., RHP, Argyle, Minn.). Ravelo had the big hit of the inning with a single through the left side to drive in Nick Leitsch and Hillesheim. Aaron Hollcraft (So., LHP, Crookston, Minn.) came on and got the Golden Eagles out of trouble as he got the third out of the inning.

Minnesota Crookston pushed their lead to 8-6 in the eighth when Cullinane singled to plate Stewart.

Hollcraft retired Upper Iowa in order in the eighth and Seipel did likewise in ninth to preserve the 8-6 victory for the Saturday sweep. Seipel picked up his ninth save of the season and his 20^th in less than two years.
Minnesota Crookston was led in the second game by Mushitz, who was 3-of-5 with two runs scored and one RBI, while Mortenson was 2-of-4 with one run and one RBI and Stewart was 2-of-4 with two RBI's and one run scored.

Cain suffered the loss for Upper Iowa after giving up seven runs, none of them earned, as his defense struggled with three errors. Cain gave up eight hits and one walk in five innings on the bump.
Minnesota Crookston returns to action Wed., April 19 at 1 and 3:30 p.m. against St. Cloud State University.