CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team was unable to overcome miscues and missed opportunities at the plate as they fell 5-1 and 12-4 to St. Cloud State University Wed., April 18 at UMC Baseball Field.

The Golden Eagles fall to 16-21 (2-16 NSIC) as they continue to struggle in conference play on the 2018 season. St. Cloud State improves to 21-10 (14-5 NSIC) with the sweep of the mid-week doubleheader.

Game One
Minnesota Crookston was unable to overcome four runs in the first inning of game one Wed., April 18 as they fell 5-1 at the hands of the Huskies. The Golden Eagles broke the shutout for St. Cloud State in the sixth inning as Ben Thoma (Fr., UT, Clearbrook, Minn.) scored on a fielder's choice from Scott Mortenson (Sr., OF, East Grand Forks, Minn.). Minnesota Crookston had a bases loaded situation earlier in the frame that we unable to take full advantage of. The Golden Eagles left six runners stranded in the frame.

Aaron Hollcraft (Jr., LHP, Crookston, Minn.) struggled with control early in the game as he fell to 1-1 with the loss in his first start of the season. The four runs in the first were the first he has given up all season. Hollcraft had five walks to one strikeout, but rebounded on the mound as he was able to shut out the Huskies in the second and third frames. Hollcraft allowed five runs in 3.1 innings.

Gabriel Cavasos (Sr., RHP, San Antonio, Texas) had a stellar relief outing as he shut down St. Cloud State in 2.2 innings with no hits and one strikeout.

Dominic Austing got the win for St. Cloud State as he tossed five innings of shutout baseball with eight strikeouts and just four hits. Ricardo Garcia gave up the lone run of the game for the Huskies, while Kyle Boser and Zach Iten both threw shutout innings.

Reed Hjelle (Jr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn._ paced the Golden Eagles at the plate as he went 2-of-3 for the game. Scott Mortenson (Sr., OF, East Grand Forks, Minn.) finished 1-of-3 with an RBI, while Jonathan Lund (Jr., 3B, Tolna, N.D.) and Zach Frazier (R-Sr., C, Grand Rapids, Minn.) also went 1-of-3.

The Huskies looked to Jackson Goplen, who was 1-of-3 with three RBIs and one run scored. Mathew Meyer finished 1-of-3 with one RBI and one run scored, while Bo Schmitz was 1-of-2 with one RBI and one run scored.

St. Cloud State got going early as they scored four runs in the opening frame. The Huskies put up their first tally when Meyer singled to center field to drive in Jordan Joseph. Goplen then cleared the bases as he hit a three-run home run to plate Goplen, Meyer and Mitch Mallek to put St. Cloud State ahead 4-0.

The Huskies added a run in the fourth when Schmitz led off the frame with a solo shot over the fence in left center to put the tally at 5-0.

Minnesota Crookston got to Garcia in relief in the top of the sixth. Garcia walked Thoma and Ethan Mushitz (Sr., SS, East Grand Forks, Minn.) to open the inning. Hjelle hit a single to left field to move Thoma and Mushitz a base. Boser came on in relief and was able to get the Huskies out of danger. Mortenson grounded into a fielder's choice as the Huskies got the out at second, but Thoma was able to come into score to cut the lead to 5-1. Boser struck out the next two batters for Minnesota Crookston as the Golden Eagles were unable to cut the deficit any further.

The Golden Eagles were unable to make up any more ground as the Huskies held on for the game one victory.

Game Two
The Huskies were able to get out to another early lead as they put up four runs in the first two stanzas. The Golden Eagles were able to cut the lead to 6-3 in the sixth frame, but two Minnesota Crookston errors and miscues in the field led St. Cloud State to the 12-4 win.

Graeme Cherry (Jr., LHP, Millarville, Alberta) got his first start of the season for the Golden Eagles. Cherry ran into early trouble with four runs allowed in the first two frames. He settled in the rest of the way, but ultimately was dealt the loss. Cherry gave up six runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings of work with four strikeouts and a walk.

Nate Albrecht (R-So., LHP, Wahpeton, N.D.) continued to make progress after returning from Tommy John surgery last year. Albrecht allowed one unearned run on two hits in 1.2 innings of work. Esten Beneda (R-So., RHP, Lankin, N.D.) gave up a run on two hits in one inning on the bump. Dalton Grose (R-Fr., LHP, Waterville, Minn.) gave up an unearned run and one hit, while Louis Gerzin (Jr., RHP, Ely, Minn.) allowed one earned run on one hit with three strikeouts and three walks in an inning of work.

Shannon Ahern got the win for the Huskies as he gave up tree runs on five hits in seven innings on the mound. Trevor Koening allowed one run on two hits in a frame, while Matt Butler shut down the Golden Eagles in the ninth to preserve the victory for the Huskies.

Hjelle was a single away from the cycle as he hit two doubles, a triple and one home run as he went 4-of-4 for the second game. Hjelle had one RBI and three runs scored. He improved his batting average to a blistery .422 on the season.

Lund finished 2-of-4 with two RBIs and one run scored, while Wyatt Peppel (R-So., DH, Greenbush, Minn.) went 1-of-4 with an RBI.

Schmitz ignited St. Cloud State in the second game as he went 5-of-6 with five RIBs and four runs scored. Mallek went 3-of-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Goplen finished 2-of-5 with two RBIs and one run scored. Ethan Ibarra was 2-of-5 with two runs scored.

St. Cloud State scored a run in the bottom of the first as Schmitz scored on a Meyer ground out.

The Huskies added three runs in the bottom of the second with one swing of the bay from Schmitz as he drove in himself, Ibarra and Reid Conlee. The blast put St. Cloud State ahead 4-0.

Minnesota Crookston got a run back in the top of the fourth as Lund reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on an error at first base. The fielder's choice drove in Hjelle.

St. Cloud State extended their advantage to 6-1 in the bottom of the fifth. A Schmidtz single brought in Ibarra. Later in the frame, Aaron Hammann walked with the bases juiced to plate Schmitz.

Minnesota Crookston responded in the top of the sixth. Lund singled to center field to bring Hjelle in to score. Peppel then delivered a double to left center to plate Lund. Peppel would try to extend it into a triple but he would be caught at third base for the out. The Golden Eagles were unable to cut into the deficit further as they trailed 6-3.

The Huskies responded with four runs in the bottom of the sixth led by a Goplen double to drive in Mallek and Joseph in the bottom of the sixth.

St. Cloud State moved the advantage to 11-3 in the bottom of the seventh as Schmitz hit a base-knock to drive in Caeden Harris.

Minnesota Crookston cut the lead to 11-4 in the top of the eighth as Hjelle hit a solo shot.

The Huskies extended their lead to 12-4 in the bottom of the eighth with a Harris single to left field to drive in Goplen.

Minnesota Crookston would be shut down in the top of the ninth as St. Cloud State held on for the 12-4 win.

The Golden Eagles will continue their home stand as they host Upper Iowa University in a four-game series at UMC Baseball Field Sat., April 21 and Sun., April 22.