Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Mankato, Minn.—The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team was back in action Tuesday afternoon as they traveled to Mankato to do battle with the Mavericks of Minnesota State University, Mankato.
 
A game that was originally scheduled to be just a seven inning game, turned out to be a 12-inning game as the Golden Eagles and Mavericks played a wild, 12-inning game, in which the Mavericks walked-off on the Golden Eagles, to win game one of the doubleheader, 8-7.
 
Game One
Game one between two top NSIC teams was a wild one. The Golden Eagles came out and got the exact start that they wanted.
 
The Mavericks were able to outlast the Golden Eagles in extra innings as they walked-off on the Golden Eagles, 8-7.
 
The loss is the first one in the conference for the Golden Eagles, as they fall to 6-1 in the conference and 13-8 overall. The win for the Mavericks improves their record to 14-6 overall and 6-3 in the conference.
 
Travis Conoryea (R-So., OF/C, Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) continued his strong season by driving in Landyn Swenson (Jr., OF, Devils Lake, N.D.) after getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. With the bases still loaded, Scott Finberg (Jr., 3B, Stillwater, Minn.) unloaded the bases with a home run over the left field fence. The Golden Eagles would lead 5-0 through a half an inning of play.
 
It wouldn't take long for the Mavericks to get right back into the game. The Mavericks scored three runs in the bottom of the first and chased Golden Eagle starter Garrett Hohn (Jr., RHP, Wausau, Wis.) after just one inning.
 
With the score 5-3, the Golden Eagles would at least get one of those runs back that they allowed to the Mavericks after Griffin Fussy (R-So., SS, Ham Lake, Minn.) scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Swenson, to make it 6-3.
 
The Mavericks would score another three runs in the bottom of the second off of Hohn, to tie the game at 6 apiece.
 
After 12 runs in the first two innings, both teams wouldn't score until the 11^th inning when the Golden Eagles would take the lead on a Brock Reller (So., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.) RBI single that brought in Bryce Jorgenson (Jr., UT, Thunder Bay, Ontario).
 
The Mavericks would tie it up in the bottom of the 11^th inning on a bases loaded walk with one out, but Golden Eagle pitcher Dalton Grose (R-So., LHP, Waterville, Minn.) worked his magic and forced a double play to keep the Golden Eagles alive.
In the bottom of the 12^th inning, the Mavericks used a one-out triple to propel them to victory, as Ty Denzer scored on a Tyler Berg sacrifice fly to walk-off the Golden Eagles.
 
In the game, the Golden Eagles had 14 hits, compared to 11 for the Mavericks. Swenson led the team with three hits, while Reller, Fussy, and Reed Hjelle (Sr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) had two hits on the day. Finberg had four RBI's on the day, hitting a grand slam in the first inning, his fourth home run on the year.
 
The Golden Eagles used four pitchers on the day, but Conner Richardson (Fr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) was outstanding, allowing just three hits in seven innings, giving up just one run. Henry Pesch (Jr., RHP, Minneota, Minn.) picked up the loss, dropping him to 1-1 on the season.
 
Game 2
The Golden Eagles were looking to rebound in game two of the doubleheader against the Mavericks.
 
The game would be a pitcher's duel up until the fifth inning, when the Golden Eagles exploded for four runs. That would turn out to be enough as the Golden Eagles were able to fend off the Mavericks to earn the 4-3 victory.
 
With the split, Minnesota Crookston is 7-1 in NSIC play and 14-8 overall, while the Mavericks fall to 6-4 in the conference and 14-7 overall.
 
Minnesota Crookston would use a pair of two RBI base hits to get that 4-0 as Reed Hjelle sneaked a base hit through the left side of the infield that drove in Bobby Chu (Jr., C, Redwood City, Calif.) and Finberg for a 2-0 lead. Hjelle would eventually score on a Brock Reller two RBI double that also scored Jorgenson.
 
The Golden Eagles would hold on to that 4-0 lead, but the Mavericks would get two back in the bottom of the sixth inning.
 
The Mavericks would try to rally in the bottom half of the seventh inning, but Louis Gerzin (Sr., RHP, Ely, Minn.) was able to shut the door for the 4-3 win.
 
Minnesota Crookston did have just five hits on the day, with two coming off the bat of Reller, who went two for three on the day.
 
Graeme Cherry (Jr., LHP, Millarville, Alberta) got the start and was outstanding, going six innings and allowing just two runs on six hits. Cherry got the positive decision, earning his first win of the season. Gerzin came in and earned the save for the Golden Eagles.
 
The Golden Eagles will be back in action this weekend against Winona State on Saturday at 1/3 p.m., and Sunday at 12 p.m., against the Warriors. Location is TBD.