CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team picked up a split against Southwest Minnesota State University Tues., April 16 at UMC Baseball Field in Crookston, Minn. The Golden Eagles took game one 2-1 following a pinch-hit home run by Jonathan Lund (Sr., 1B/3B, Tolna, N.D.). In the second tilt, Southwest Minnesota State came back to win 9-8 on a Brady Lanoue walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth as the sun began to set in Crookston.

Minnesota Crookston moves to 20-14 (13-7 NSIC) with Tuesday's split. The Golden Eagles have reached 20 wins for the fourth-consecutive season. Minnesota Crookston sits in sixth place. Southwest Minnesota State moves to 6-19 (5-15 NSIC) with Tuesday's split. The Golden Eagles are five wins from tying their school records for wins in a season and conference victories.

Game One
The Golden Eagles triumphed in the pitcher's duel in game one, following a Lund pinch-hit home run in the top of the seventh. Lund's solo blast to right center came on the first pitch he faced.

Minnesota Crookston was guided by another stand-out outing on the mound by Nate Albrecht (Sr., LHP, Wahpeton, N.D.). Albrecht has had three strong outings in a row. He went 5.1 innings and allowed just one run on seven hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

Louis Gerzin (Sr., RHP, Ely, Minn.) got the win in relief as he moves to 3-0 on the year. Gerzin allowed no runs on no hits with one strikeout and one walk. Dalton Grose (R-So., LHP, Waterville, Minn.) picked up his league-leading eighth save of the year as he went one inning and allowed no runs on one hit with three strikeouts and a walk.

The loss for the Mustangs was handed to Teddy Broxterman in relief, as he allowed one run on two hits with two strikeouts in one inning of relief. Spencer Schroeder had a strong outing in the start. He tossed six innings and allowed no earned runs on two hits with five strikeouts.

Minnesota Crookston scattered four hits over the game. Lund was 1-of-1 with an RBI and a run scored. Griffin Fussy (R-So., SS, Ham Lake, Minn.) finished 1-of-3 with an RBI. Mason Ruhlman (Jr., 2B, Algonac, Mich.) went 1-of-2, while Brock Reller (So., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.) was 1-of-3.

Southwest Minnesota State looked to Jayden Fleck, who was 3-of-3 with an RBI, while Kip Gronholz went 2-of-3.

The Mustangs opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first of the site relocated game. Fleck singled to center field to plate Nathan Kuhn to put Southwest Minnesota State ahead 1-0.

The Golden Eagles matched the score 1-1 when Fussy singled to right field to drive in Scott Finberg (Jr., 3B, Stillwater, Minn.) in the fifth frame.

Minnesota Crookston broke the tie as Lund put one over the left center fence to put the Golden Eagles ahead 2-1.

Southwest Minnesota State put up a threat in the bottom of the seventh as Spencer Rudnik walked and Gronholz singled with just one out. Grose stepped up in a big way for Minnesota Crookston as he struck out Kuhn and Connor Johnson to preserve the 2-1 win for the Golden Eagles.

Game Two
Minnesota Crookston held a 6-1 lead going into the bottom of the fourth of game two, but Southwest Minnesota State scored eight runs in the final five innings as they upended the Golden Eagles 9-8. The Mustangs took the game on a Lanoue walk-off double, as he drove in Robbie Smith to send Southwest Minnesota State to victory.

Minnesota Crookston struggled on the mound as they gave up eight earned runs with six walks and 11 hits allowed. Graeme Cherry (Jr., LHP, Millarville, Alberta) got the start and allowed five runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings with one strikeout.

Aaron Hollcraft (Sr., LHP, Crookston, Minn.) came on in relief and allowed three runs on three hits. Minnesota Crookston had a strong stint of four pitchers to didn't allow a run as Garrett Hohn (Jr., RHP, Wausau, Wis.), Tyler Hegg (Fr., RHP, Thompson, Minn.), Matt Nelson (Fr., RHP, Afton, Minn.), and Gerzin kept the Mustangs tamed.

Grose suffered the loss, as he moved to 2-1 after allowing an unearned run on one hit in 0.2 innings with one strikeout.

James Hardy struggled in the start for Southwest Minnesota State, allowing three runs on three walks and two wild pitches. John Bezdicek allowed two runs on three hits in two innings of work, while Alex Jorgensen allowed two runs on four hits in 3.1 innings on the mound.

The win for the Mustangs went to Cole Petersen, who gave up just one run on three hits in 2.2 innings. Petersen struck out four and walked just one.

Minnesota Crookston had 10 hits on the game. The Golden Eagles had five runs scored on either wild pitches or passed balls, as the Mustang pitchers struggled with their control. Ruhlman paced the Golden Eagles by going 2-of-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Fussy finished the game 2-of-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Finberg was 2-of-5 with an RBI. Reed Hjelle (Sr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) went 1-of-2 with two runs scored.

The Mustangs were paced by Ben Heichel went 2-of-5 with two runs scored. Lanoue went 2-of-2 with two RBIs, including the walk-off hit. Jake Hendricks went 1-of-2 with three RBIS and a run scored.

Minnesota Crookston got on the scoreboard first as Hjelle crossed on a wild pitch. Later in the first frame, Reller came home on a passed ball to extend the lead to 2-0. Later in the inning, Travis Conoryea (R-So., OF/C, Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) scored on a wild pitch to extend the advantage to 3-0.

Southwest Minnesota State cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the first as Fleck doubled to plate Andy Andresen.

The Golden Eagles moved the lead to 4-1 in the third as Hjelle crossed on yet another wild pitch.

Minnesota Crookston continued their early onslaught when Fussy doubled to left field to drive in Ruhlman and push the lead out to 5-1. Later in the inning, Fussy made it home on a wild pitch to extend the lead out to 6-1.

Southwest Minnesota State countered with a big bottom of the fourth. The Mustangs trimmed the lead to 6-2 on a Lanoue sacrifice fly to bring in Tanner Strommen. Derek Smith later doubled to right center to plate Heichel and cut the lead to 6-3. Southwest Minnesota State continued their big frame as Hendricks hit a three-run home run to knot the game up 6-6.

The Golden Eagles took the lead back in the fifth when Ruhlman singled to right field to drive in Lund.

Southwest Minnesota State tied the lead back up 7-7 as Matt Bezdicek put down a sacrifice bunt to plate Fleck on the squeeze play. The Mustangs took the lead back 8-7 when Heichel scored on a wild pitch.
Minnesota Crookston responded and tied the game up 8-8 in the top of the ninth as Finberg doubled to center field to bring in Ruhlman.

The Golden Eagles looked to get out of the bottom of ninth and force extra innings. However, Lanoue had other plans as he doubled to left field to plate Smith as Southwest Minnesota State walked off with a 9-8 win.
Minnesota Crookston remains at home as they take on No. 4 St. Cloud State University Fri., April 19 and Sat., April 20 at UMC Baseball Field in Crookston, Minn.