CROOKSTON, Minn. – A two-run home run for Reed Hjelle (Sr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) lifted the University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team to a 5-3 win over No. 5 St. Cloud State University. The victory is the second-ever over a ranked opponent and the first since the Golden Eagles defeated 22^nd-ranked Augustana University April 27, 2016.

St. Cloud State tested the Golden Eagles down the stretch as they led the top of the ninth off with a double from Jordan Joseph and a single from Quade. Dalton Grose (R-So., LHP, Waterville, Minn.) stepped up and got three-straight outs of the Huskies as he picked up his league-leading ninth save of the season.

Minnesota Crookston improved to 21-14 (14-7 NSIC) with the win over St. Cloud State. The Golden Eagles sit in sixth place in the NSIC standings. Minnesota Crookston is just four wins away from tying their school-record 25 wins and 18 conference victories set during the 2016 campaign. St. Cloud State moves to third place in the conference standings. The Huskies move to 29-7 (17-5 NSIC) with the loss.

The Golden Eagles were set up for success due to a quality start from Zach Rustad (Sr., LHP, Blaine, Minn.) Rustad moved to 5-5 with the win after allowing just three runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks.

Grose picked up the save with no runs on two hits with two strikeouts and no walks allowed in two innings of work. Grose needs just three saves to tie the school record for saves set by current Atlanta Braves farmhand Zach Seipel during the 2017 season.

Hjelle had an impressive game to lead Minnesota Crookston. He went 3-of-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Brock Reller (So., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.) went 1-of-4 with one RBI and a run scored, while Ben Thoma (So., C/SS, Clearbrook, Minn.) went 1-of-3 with one RBI and one run scored.

Cal Giese, a 2017 All-NSIC First Team pick before missing last season due to injury, got the ball for the Huskies. He allowed three runs on 5.1 innings with eight strikeouts and three walks. Shannon Ahern got the loss in relief after allowing two runs on four hits in 2.2 innings with three strikeouts.

St. Cloud State was guided by Matt Quade, who was 2-of-4 with a run scored. Ethan Ibarra went 1-of-4 with two RBIs, while Najee Gaskins was 1-of-5 with one run scored.

The Huskies opened up the scoring in the second stanza when Ibarra singled to center field to plate Aaron Hammann and Quade to put St. Cloud State ahead 2-0.

The Huskies extended the lead to 3-0 as Gaskins scored after stealing third and scoring as Minnesota Crookston caught Mathew Meyer on a pick-off attempt between first and second base.

Minnesota Crookston remained in a 3-0 deficit before finally making a move in the bottom of the sixth. Reller came through with the breakthrough hit with a triple to right field to plate Hjelle. In the next at-bat, Thoma singled through the left side to drive in Reller to trim the lead to 3-2. A Scott Finberg (Jr., 3B, Stillwater, Minn.) singled through the left side plated Thoma to knot the tilt up 3-3.

Minnesota Crookston moved into the lead with a Hjelle two-run blast to plate Landyn Swenson (Jr., OF, Devils Lake, N.D.) and himself.

The Huskies opened up their last-ditch effort in the ninth with a Joseph double to left field. A Quade single to left moved Joseph over to third with no outs. Grose battled in a six-pitch at-bat to retire Hammann and then he went on to retire the final two batters to preserve the 5-3 win.