KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team used five runs in the top of the eighth inning propelled by a two-run single by Reed Hjelle (Sr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) as they took down University of the Sciences 8-3. The Golden Eagles were tied 3-3 heading into the eighth frame before putting up five runs in the eighth.

Minnesota Crookston moves to 6-5 with Thursday's win over USciences. The Golden Eagles have posted a 4-1 mark during their trip to Central Florida. USciences falls to 1-9 with the loss.

Aaron Hollcraft (Sr., LHP, Crookston, Minn.) picked up the win in relief after dealing three shutout innings with just one hit allowed. Hollcraft tallied two strikeouts in the victory. Hollcraft has posted a 0.00 ERA in four innings after starting out his baseball season this week. Last week at this time, he was coming off an upset victory of No. 2 seed Augustana University as a member of the men's basketball team.

Garrett Hohn (Jr., RHP, Wausau, Wis.) got the start for Minnesota Crookston and went four innings, allowing three runs on four hits with two strikeouts, and two walks. Conner Richardson (Fr.) went two inning and gave up no runs on three hits.

The Golden Eagles had eight runs on 15 hits for the day. Minnesota Crookston was led by Ben Thoma (So., C/SS, Clearbrook, Minn.), who went 3-of-5 with two RBIs. Hjelle, the 2018 NSIC Player of the Year, was 2-of-4 with two RBIs and one run scored. Brock Reller (So., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.) was 2-of-4 with one RBI and one run scored, while Landyn Swenson (Jr., OF, Devils Lake, N.D.) was 2-of-4 with one RBI and two runs scored.

Austin Blumetti was saddled with the loss for the Devils. Blumetti allowed five runs on four hits in 1.2 innings of work with three strikeouts and one walk. Andrew Szpindor got the start and gave up three runs on 10 hits in six innings, with five strikeouts and one walk. Justin Derk and John Michael Sabatino shut out the Golden Eagles in 1.1 innings of combined relief.
The Devils were led by Jordan Stennett, who was 2-of-4 with two RBIs and one run scored.  

USciences broke the scoreless tie in the second inning as Stennett tripled to drive in Justin Skinner and Ryan Johnson to give the Devils a 2-0 lead.

USciences added a run later in the frame, when Stennett came in to score on a Chris Anderson stolen base.

Minnesota Crookston cut the deficit to 3-1 when Reller tripled to right field to score Swenson. Thoma singled to left field to plate Reller and trim the USciences lead to 3-2 in the fourth frame.

The Golden Eagles knotted the game up 3-3 in the sixth frame when Thoma hit an infield single to drive in Hjelle.

The score remained at 3-3 until Minnesota Crookston broke through with five runs in the eighth inning. Scott Finberg (Jr., 3B, Stillwater, Minn.) proved to be the game winning run as he came in to score on an error at second base. The Golden Eagles extended their lead to 5-3 when Swenson singled to center field to plate Alex Mushitz (Fr., 2B/SS, East Grand Forks, Minn.). Hjelle continued the big inning with a single to center field to bring home Bryce Jorgenson (Jr., UT, Thunder Bay, Ontario), and Mason Ruhlman (Jr., 2B, Algonac, Mich.). The final run of the game scored as Swenson came in on a Hjelle stolen base to put the Golden Eagles ahead 8-3, a tally they would win by.

Minnesota Crookston continues their Florida excursion March 8 as they take on New York Institute of Technology at 11:45 a.m. C.T. in Kissimmee, Fla.