WICHITA, Kan. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team gave up three runs in the top of the 10th as they fell 5-2 in the series opener to Dakota Wesleyan University Sat., Feb. 24. Saturday's game was the first of three at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, a minor league baseball staple in Wichita, Kan., since 1934.

Minnesota Crookston falls to 1-4 with Saturday's loss. Dakota Wesleyan opens the 2017 season with a 1-0 mark.

Parker Hanson (Jr., RHP, Hawley, Minn.) got the start on the bump for Minnesota Crookston. Hanson had an effective outing giving up just two runs on seven hits in seven innings on the mound with three strikeouts.

Gabriel Cavasos (Sr., RHP, San Antonio, Texas) came on and pitched well, giving up no runs on one hit in 1.1 innings of work for the Golden Eagles.

Zach Seipel (Jr., RHP, Eagan, Minn.) struck out the first batter three batters he faced but ran into issues in the 10^th inning. Seipel gave up two earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts in 1.1 innings. Jacob Butcher (R-Sr., RHP, Palmer, Alaska) came on and got Minnesota Crookston out of the 10^th inning with no runs on no hits in 0.1 innings on the bump.

Minnesota Crookston was paced at the plate by Jonathan Lund (Jr., 3B, Tolna, N.D.), who was 2-of-3, and James Cullinane (Sr., OF, San Francisco, Calif.) who was also 2-of-3. Anthony Stewart (R-Sr., OF, Oak Harbor, Wash.) went 1-of-4 with one run scored. Ethan Mushitz (Sr., SS, East Grand Forks, Minn.) was 2-of-4 with one RBI, while Reed Hjelle (Jr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) was 1-of-4 with one RBI.

Dillon Stadlman got the win in relief after giving up no run on one hit in four innings with three strikeouts. Dominique Boerger started the game for Dakota Wesleyan and gave up two earned runs on seven hits in six innings with three strikeouts.

The Tigers were led at the plate by Chandler Bakley, who was 3-of-5 with three RBIs and one run scored. Wes Anderson went 2-of-4, while Drew DeMers was 3-of-5 with one RBI.

Stewart triggered Minnesota Crookston's efforts in the bottom of the first with a lead-off triple. In the next at-bat, Thoma was hit by a pitch to give the Golden Eagles two on with no out. Ethan Mushitz (Sr., SS, East Grand Forks, Minn.) came through with a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Stewart to lift the lid on the scoring 1-0. Hjelle then came through in the clutch as the four-hole hitter doubled to bring in Thoma to make it 2-0.

Dakota Wesleyan cut the deficit to 2-1 in the top of the second when Chandler Bakley doubled to drive in Brandon Oropeza.

The Golden Eagles put together a major scoring threat in the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded with two outs. However, Boerger got David Anaya (R-Sr., 2B/SS, Tucson, Ariz.) to fly out to keep the game at 2-1 in favor of Minnesota Crookston.

Minnesota Crookston held the lead into the top of the sixth when Bakley doubled to bring in Reed Harter as the Tigers knotted the game up 2-2. Hanson got Landon Neugebauer to ground out to keep the score at 2-2 going into the bottom of the sixth.

The Golden Eagles threatened in the bottom of the sixth after Hjelle was hit by a pitch to open up the frame. Hjelle moved over to second after Jonathan Lund moved him over on a sacrifice fly. Hjelle took third on a stolen base to move 90 feet from home. However, Zach Frazier struck out and Mitchell Bornhauser flew out to keep the score at 2-2.

James Cullinane (Sr., OF, San Francisco, Calif.) was hit by a pitch to open up the bottom of the seventh. Cullinane moved into scoring position following an Anaya sacrifice bunt. Dillon Stadlman got the final two outs of the frame as the score remained knotted up 2-2.

Cavasos came on in relief in the eight and quickly took the Tigers down in order to keep the game tied up 2-2.

Lund reached on a single with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. However, Stadlman struck out Frazier for the final out of the inning, as Frazier moved to 0-for-4 for the game.

Dakota Wesleyan threatened in the top of the ninth Kyle Bailey reached on an error and Drew DeMers singled, but Cavasos got out of the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.

Minnesota Crookston was then retired in order as the two teams headed to extra innings.

With one out, Oropeza was walked. He would come around to score to break the tie 3-2 with a Bakley double. J.T. Miller then singled in Bakley to extend the lead to 4-2. An error at short stop kept the inning alive, leading to a DeMers single to plate Miller to move the advantage to 5-2.

Stewart walked to lead off the bottom of the 10^th frame to try to get something going for Minnesota Crookston. Mushitz looked to continue the frame as he singled giving the Golden Eagles two on with no out. After Hjelle flew out to center, both players advanced a base on a wild pitch putting two runners in scoring position and the tying run at the plate. Hunter Baldwin (R-So., 3B, St. Thomas, N.D.), a defensive substitution earlier in the inning, came on and grounded out to short stop to end the game.

Saturday's game marked the first time that Golden Eagle head coach Steve Gust has coached against his former team at Dakota Wesleyan. Gust coached the Tigers from 2009-14. Dakota Wesleyan is coached by one of Gust's former players and assistant coaches John Greicar.

Minnesota Crookston will play a doubleheader against Dakota Wesleyan at 12 and 3 p.m. in Wichita, Kan., to finish up the series.