CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team picked up a mid-week split with University of Minnesota Duluth Tues., April 30 at UMC Baseball Field in Crookston, Minn. The Golden Eagles got a great pitching outing from Nate Albrecht (R-Sr., LHP, Wahpeton, N.D.) in game one, but were unable to get opportune hits. In game two, Minnesota Crookston turned seven hits and 11 walks into a commanding 14-4 response victory over the Bulldogs.

Minnesota Crookston moved to 26-19 (18-12 NSIC) with Tuesday's split. The game two win helped the Golden Eagles set the school-record for victories with 26, surpassing the 25 by the 2016 squad. In addition, Minnesota Crookston matched the school-record for conference wins with 18, set previously during the 2016 season. Minnesota Duluth moved to 13-32 (10-23 NSIC).

The Golden Eagles remain in sixth place in the NSIC with Tuesday's split. Minnesota Crookston has already been guaranteed a spot in the NSIC Tournament. The Golden Eagles can only drop to the seventh seed if Northern State wins their final three games, and Minnesota Crookston loses their final three games. If Wayne State drops their final three games, and the Golden Eagles win their last three games, Minnesota Crookston would move up to the No. 5 seed.

Game One
McCale Peterson laced a single to center field and Drew Stewart scored on an error in center field as a result of the play, as Minnesota Duluth won the first tilt 1-0.

The Golden Eagles had a great effort on the mound from Albrecht, but it proved to not be enough, as they were unable to capitalize on four hits and two Minnesota Duluth errors.

Albrecht continued to be one of the most effective pitchers this season for Minnesota Crookston. He went the complete game, and gave up just one unearned run on seven hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Albrecht is 2-3 on the season with a 3.19 ERA in 53.2 innings pitched with nine starts on the year.

Nick Dorfman got the start in game one for the Bulldogs and tossed three scoreless frame with just two hits allowed. Dorfman had three strikeouts and a walk.

Paul Petit picked up the win, allowing no runs on no hits with three strikeouts. Petit moves to 1-0 on the year. Liam Blaschko earned his first save of the season, going two innings and allowing no runs on two hits with three strikeouts.
Minnesota Crookston was guided by the reining NSIC Player of the Week Brock Reller (So., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.), who went 3-of-3. Landyn Swenson (Jr., OF, Devils Lake, N.D.) was the only other Golden Eagle with a hit, as he went 1-of-3.

The only run of the game came on Peterson's single and the error in center field in the top of the fourth.

Minnesota Crookston was unable to string anything together as they would not answer, falling 1-0.

Game Two
The Golden Eagles responded in a grand way with a 14-4 run-rule victory in the second game of the doubleheader.

Minnesota Crookston took advantage of Minnesota Duluth's pitching struggles as the Golden Eagles were walked 11 times, hit by a pitch twice, and had 11 hits.

On the mound, Graeme Cherry (Jr., LHP, Millarville, Alberta) put the Golden Eagles in a great place with a strong outing. Cherry went five innings, and gave up just four runs on nine hits with three strikeouts. He improved to 3-2 with Tuesday's victory over the Bulldogs.

Conner Richardson (Fr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) came in for what has become a rare relief outing as of late. Richardson has become one of the team's weekend starters as of late. Richardson tossed two shutout innings with two strikeouts.

Wyatt O'Bey got the start, and suffered the loss for Minnesota Duluth. He gave up four earned runs on three hits with four strikeouts and five walks. The Bulldogs also struggled defensively on the game as they had four errors.

Reller built on a strong game one, as he went 2-of-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Mason Ruhlman (Jr., 2B, Algonac, Mich.) finished 2-of-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Scott Finberg (Jr., 3B, Stillwater, Minn.) went 1-of-4 with two RBIs. Bobby Chu (Jr., C, Redwood City, Calif.) was 1-of-2 with one run scored.

Minnesota Duluth opened the scoring in the top of the first as Tosten Mann singled to plate Henry George and put the Bulldogs up 1-0.

The Golden Eagles countered with five runs in the bottom of the first. After the first three men reached on walks, Reller delivered on a single to left field to drive in Swenson and Brock Jorgenson (Jr., UT, Thunder Bay, Ontario) to put the Golden Eagles ahead 2-1.

Minnesota Crookston pushed their lead to 3-1 when Reed Hjelle (Sr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) scored on an error by the catcher. Ruhlman then singled to right center to score Reller and extend the gap to 4-1. Later in the stanza, Finberg singled to center field to plate Jonathan Lund (Sr., 1B/3B, Tolna, N.D.) to extend the lead to 5-1.

The Bulldogs got three runs back in the top of the third led by a Tyler Wojciechowski three-run home run to cut the deficit to 5-4.

Minnesota Crookston responded with a four-run bottom of the third. The first run crossed when Reller scored on a wild pitch to push the lead to 6-4. Later in the frame, Jorgenson walked with the bases loaded to score Ruhlman. The Golden Eagles took a 9-4 lead as Swenson reached on an error at second base, allowing Chu and Ben Thoma (So., C/SS, Clearbrook, Minn.) to score.

The Golden Eagles built their lead out to 12-4 in the bottom of the fourth. A Finberg sacrifice fly scored Lund to start the scoring in the inning. With the bases loaded, Jorgenson was hit by a pitch to push the lead to 11-4. Thoma scored to cap off the inning on a wild pitch to make it 12-4.

Minnesota Crookston extended their lead in the bottom of the fourth. Ruhlman opened up the scoring with a single through the right side to score Reller and push the lead out to 11-4. Later in the frame, Thoma hit a sacrifice fly to plate Lund.

The Golden Eagles shut the door on the Bulldogs in the final two innings as they won the run-ruled game 14-4.

Minnesota Crookston will look to end the regular-season on a strong note as they host Minot State University Fri., March 3 in a doubleheader at 1 and 3 p.m., and Sat., March 4 at 12 p.m.