KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team scored five runs in the seventh and eighth innings to come from behind to defeat No. 25 Seton Hill University Fri., March 9 at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Fla. The game was the second for the Golden Eagles at the Diamond 9 Sunshine State Classic.

Minnesota Crookston moves to 8-4 on the season as they continue their best start in the program's history of NCAA Division II baseball. The victory was the first for Minnesota Crookston over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 22 Augustana University April 27, 2016. Seton Hill falls to 5-5 with Friday's loss. The Golden Eagles have now won seven straight games including moving to 5-0 thus far in Florida.

The Golden Eagles continue to be led by the play of their bullpen as the Minnesota Crookston relievers have not allowed a run in 16.2 innings. Nate Albrecht (R-So., LHP, Wahpeton, N.D.) got the win for the Golden Eagles after tossing a scoreless seventh inning. Albrecht gave up no runs on one hit. The outing was the first for Albrecht as he returns from an arm injury. Albrecht had missed almost exactly a year of baseball after last appearing March 14, 2017 against Mansfield University in Clearwater, Fla.

Zach Seipel (Jr., RHP, Eagan, Minn.) earned the two inning save for the Golden Eagles as he moves to three saves on the 2018 season. Seipel gave up no runs on one hit with three strikeouts and one walk.

Jacob Butcher (R-Sr., RHP, Palmer, Alaska) started off the relievers in fine fashion as he went two innings and gave up no runs on no hits with one strikeout and two walks. Aaron Hollcraft (Jr., LHP, Crookston, Minn.) followed and threw 1.1 innings, allowing no runs and no hits with two strikeouts. Eric Newman (R-So., RHP, Buffalo, Minn.) finished with 0.2 innings with no runs and no hits before handing the ball over to Albrecht.

Reed Hjelle (Jr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) was responsible for the go-ahead run as the clean-up hitter hit an infield single to drive in Wyatt Peppel (R-So., DH, Greenbush, Minn.) and put a stamp on a three-run eighth inning. Hjelle paced Minnesota Crookston at the plate as he went 4-of-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Anthony Stewart (R-Sr., OF, Oak Harbor, Wash.) was 1-of-5 with two runs scored. Peppel was clutch in his pinch-hit at-bat with the game-tying run as he was 1-of-1 with one RBI and one run scored. Jonathan Lund (Jr., 3B, Tolna, N.D.) finished 2-of-5.

The loss went to Nicholas Behm in relief, after he allowed three runs on three hits with two strikeouts in one inning. The left-hander Patrick Monteverde was effective in his start as he allowed just two runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in six frames. Ben Vicini gave up one earned run in relief, while Kenny Wells tossed a scoreless ninth.

The Griffins were led at the plate by Tom McCarthy, who was 2-of-4 with one RBI and two runs scored. Colton Carney finished 2-of-5 with two runs scored, while Chris Law was 1-of-3 with two runs scored.

Stewart set the table for the Golden Eagles in the first at-bat of the game, as he tripled down the right field line. Hjelle came through and doubled, driving in Stewart to put Minnesota Crookston up 1-0.

Seton Hill got three runs off Minnesota Crookston starter Gabriel Cavasos (Sr., RHP, San Antonio, Texas) in the bottom of the first. Ryan Grieco opened things up with a single to center field to plate McCarthy and Carney. Law came in to score on a wild pitch to move the lead to 3-1.

The Griffins got to Cavasos again in the bottom of the third when McCarthy hit an infield single to score Carney. Law crossed the plate on a throwing error from Ben Thoma (Fr., UT, Clearbrook, Minn.) at catcher after McCarthy stole home. Butcher got Minnesota Crookston out of any further trouble as he got all three outs in the third but not before Seton Hill took a 6-1 advantage.

Neither team scored until the top of the sixth when Hunter Baldwin (R-So., 3B, St. Thomas, N.D.) singled through the left side to drive in Hjelle and cut the deficit to 6-2.

The Golden Eagles cut deeper into the lead in the seventh off Vicini. Hjelle singled through the left side to plate Mitchell Bornhauser (Sr., OF, Northfield, Minn.). Hjelle then came across on a fielding error at second base to cut the lead to 6-4.

Minnesota Crookston seized the day in the eighth as Peppel had a big pinch-hit at-bat as he singled to left field to drive in David Anaya (R-Sr., 2B, Tucson, Ariz.) and bring the Golden Eagles within one run at 6-5. Ethan Mushitz (Sr., SS, East Grand Forks, Minn.) knotted up the game 6-6 with a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in Stewart. With two outs, Hjelle beat out a single to the short stop and plated Stewart to put Minnesota Crookston into a 7-6 lead.

Seipel gave up just one hit and a walk in the eighth and ninth innings as he was able to shut the door on the Griffins and preserve the 7-6 win for the Golden Eagles.

Minnesota Crookston will return to action Sat., March 10 at 2:30 p.m. against Northwood University (Mich.) at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee, Fla. Northwood made it to the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship game last year with a 46-13 mark.