CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team picked up their fourth-consecutive doubleheader split with a 7-1 win Sat., April 28 against Southwest Minnesota State University. The Golden Eagles bounced back for the victory after a 9-0 loss in the first game to the Mustangs.

Minnesota Crookston was guided by a gem on the mound from Justin Yutrzenka (So., RHP, Argyle, Minn.), who gave up just two hits and one run in seven innings with two strikeouts. The outing was one of the best of the season for Yutrzenka.

The Golden Eagles reached their 20^th win for the third-consecutive season, a first for the program. Minnesota Crookston moves to 20-25 (6-20 NSIC) with the split. Southwest Minnesota State sits at 12-22 (7-17 NSIC) after Saturday's split. The Golden Eagles are just five wins away from tying the school record for wins, set during the 2016 season with 25 victories. Minnesota Crookston has eight games left on the 2018 slate.

Game One
The Minnesota Crookston bats were shut down in the first game of the day as Southwest Minnesota State's Justin Clark tossed a two-hit shutout with 14 strikeouts in the complete game. In addition, the Golden Eagles struggled defensively as they had five errors in the field, which helped the game snowball into a 9-0 loss at the hands of the Mustangs.

Jayden Grover (So., RHP, Cooperstown, N.D.) got the start on the bump in game one for Minnesota Crookston. Grover pitched effectively as he allowed just one earned run on six hits in four innings with six strikeouts. Nate Albrecht (R-So., LHP, Wahpeton, N.D.) struggled as he continues to get back to full strength after Tommy John surgery last year. Alrecht allowed two earned runs on four hits in one inning. Esten Beneda (R-So., RHP, Lankin, N.D.) allowed one earned run on three hits with two strikeouts in two innings of work.

Scott Mortenson (Sr., OF, East Grand Forks, MInn.) accounted for the only two hits for Minnesota Crookston for the game.

The Mustangs were guided by Jayden Fleck, who was 3-of-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Jake Hendricks finished 2-of-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Ben Heichel went 2-of-4 with one RBI and a run scored, while Nathan Kuhn was 2-of-5 with a run scored.

Southwest Minnesota State picked up a run in the top of the first as Kuhn took third on a wild pitch and scored on an error by Zach Frazier (R-Sr., C, Grand Rapids, Minn.) as he overthrew the third baseman trying to get the out at third.

The score remained at 1-0 until the Mustangs added a pair of scores in the top of the fourth. Hendricks delivered a single down the right field line to bring in Heichel. Fleck then singled, Hendricks came in to score on an error in left field by James Cullinane (Sr., OF, San Francisco, Calif.) to move the lead to 3-0.

SMSU broke the game open in the top of the fifth with four runs. Fleck singled in Shane Sellner to extend the advantage to 4-0. In the next at-bat, Connor Johnson singled, but an errant throw from Albrecht allowed two runs to score to move the lead to 6-0. A Spencer Franko single scored Johnson to move the lead to 7-0.

The Mustangs moved the lead to 8-0 when Heichel singled to right field to score Derek Smith.

Southwest Minnesota State scored the final run of the game in the top of the seventh when Smith singled up the middle to bring in Fleck to make the score 9-0.

Game Two
The pitching of Minnesota Crookston controlled the Southwest Minnesota State bats in game two led by Yutrzenka's two hitter over seven innings. In addition, Minnesota Crookston came through with clutch hits as they took the 7-1 win in the second game of the double dip.

In addition to Yutrzenka's gem, Louis Gerzin (Jr., RHP, Ely, Minn.) and Dalton Grose (R-Fr., LHP, Waterville, Minn.) shut down SMSU out of the bullpen with just one hit and no runs in two innings of relief.

Minnesota Crookston scored seven runs on 11 hits. The Golden Eagles were lifted by the play of Reed Hjelle (Jr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.), who went 4-of-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Hjelle was a double short of hitting for the cycle. He notched two singles, a triple and his league-leading ninth home run of the season. Hjelle is hitting .438 as a junior for the Golden Eagles.

James Cullinane (Sr., OF, San Francisco, Calif.) hit 2-of-4 for the game with two RBIs and two runs scored. Anthony Stewart (R-Sr., OF, Oak Harbor, Wash.) was 1-of-4 with two runs scored, while Ethan Mushitz (Sr., SS, East Grand Forks, Minn.) went 1-of-2. Hunter Baldwin (R-So., DH, St. Thomas, N.D.) was 2-of-4 for the game.

John Bezdicek suffered the loss for the Mustangs after allowing three runs on seven hits in six innings with eight strikeouts. Brandon Woznak allowed three runs on two hits, while Shawn Williams allowed one run on two hits in two innings.

SMSU was guided by Hendricks, who hit safely in 2-of-4 at-bats. Fleck was 1-of-4 with a run scored.

Minnesota Crookston jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Cullinane lifted a ball into center field for a sacrifice fly to plate Stewart. A Jonathan Lund (Jr., 3B, Tolna, N.D.) double plated Hjelle to move the advantage to 2-0.
The Mustangs cut the lead to 2-1 when Matt Bezdicek hit a sacrifice fly to center field to bring in Fleck.

The Golden Eagles moved their lead to 3-1 in the third as Hjelle lined one over the left field fence for his ninth blast of the season.

The score remained at 3-1 until Minnesota Crookston was able to pad their lead with three runs in the seventh. A single from Cullinane drove in Stewart to move the advantage to 4-1. With the bases loaded, a Griffin Fussy (R-Fr., IF, Ham Lake, Minn.) walk brought in Cullinane for Fussy's first RBI of his career. Mortenson then hit a sacrifice fly to left field to plate Hjelle and move the lead to 6-1.

Minnesota Crookston extended their lead to 7-1 when Hjelle tripled to plate Cullinane.

Saturday was also Senior Day for the Golden Eagles. Minnesota Crookston honored their 11 seniors during the game and with a post-game banquet. The senior class will play two more games at home Sunday. The senior class includes: Mitchell Bornhauser, Mortenson, Stewart, Mushitz, David Anaya, Wyatt Huso, Frazier, Jacob Butcher, Gabriel Cavasos, Jason Angelo and Cullinane. The group has been a part of a program-best 83 wins in the last four seasons after the program had won a single game the year prior. Huso and Frazier are the last two members of the one-win team from 2014. Both players redshirted their initial season with the Maroon and Gold.

The Golden Eagles will wrap up their 2018 home slate Sun., April 29 as they take on Southwest Minnesota State University at 12 and 2 p.m.