WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team routed University of the Sciences 11-1 Thurs., March 5 at Chain O' Lakes Stadium in Winter Haven, Fla.
The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team scored six runs in the ninth inning and picked up a strong performance on the mound from Jayden Grover (Sr., RHP, Cooperstown, N.D.). The first seven innings were a dual of strong pitching led by Grover and UScience's Hiro Mizutani.
The Golden Eagles move to 8-4 on the season, as they continue one of their best starts in program history. Minnesota Crookston has gone 7-2 in nine games at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational. The Golden Eagles went 3-2 at Chain O' Lakes Stadium, the former Major League Baseball spring training home for the Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians. USciences falls to 2-11 with Thursday's loss.
Grover went six innings in his second-straight gem of an outing. Grover went to 2-1, allowing just one run on six hits with two strikeouts and one walk. The Minnesota Crookston senior inched closer to Zach Seipel's strikeout record, as he now needs just six strikeouts to surpass the Atlanta Braves farmhand.
Minnesota Crookston was led by Brock Reller (Jr., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.), who went 4-of-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored, including a three-run home run. Scott Finberg (Sr., 3B, Stillwater, Minn.) finished 3-of-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Ben Thoma (Jr., C, Clearbrook, Minn.) was 3-of-4 with a run scored, while Brad Morris (Jr., OF, Auckland, New Zealand) was 2-of-4 with four runs scored. Eli Jung (Jr., OF, Dickinson, N.D.) finished 1-of-1 with four RBIs and a run scored, including his first career home run, which accounted for three RBIs.
Mizutani suffered the loss after a quality start, in which he allowed three runs on six hits with four strikeouts. Chris Brown struggled in relief, allowing five runs on six hits, while Alec Sherk allowed three runs on two hits.
At the plate, the Devils looked to Chad McCann, who was 3-of-4 for the night. Chris Anderson went 1-of-3 with an RBI.
Tyler Hegg (So., RHP, Thompson, N.D.) had another strong outing out of the bullpen for Minnesota Crookston with no runs allowed in one inning. Dalton Grose (Sr., LHP, Waterville, Minn.) gave up just one hit in one inning, while Gregory Diaz (R-Jr., RHP, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) struck out two with no hits given up in one stanza.
Minnesota Crookston got on the scoreboard first in the top of the first inning as Reller tripled to drive in Morris. The Golden Eagles added a tally when Finberg singled in Reller to widen the gap to 2-0.
The Devils got a run back in the bottom of the third with a Anderson sacrifice fly to drive in A.J. Pena and cut the deficit to 2-1.
Minnesota Crookston looked to extend their lead as they had two runners on to lead off the inning, but Hiro Mizutani worked out of trouble to keep the tally at 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fourth.
USciences put together back-to-back singles from Chad McCann and Justin Skinner to open up the bottom of the fourth frame. Grover would get a strikeout, a groundout, and a fly out to get out of any trouble and keep the 2-1 lead intact.
Morris started off the top of the sixth with a double down the left field line to try to jump start Minnesota Crookston. Morris came in to score for the Golden Eagles on a Finberg groundout as Minnesota Crookston moved the advantage to 3-1.
Finberg added another RBI in the eighth, as he singled to drive in Morris to widen the gap to 4-1. Minnesota Crookston added one more in the eighth as Jung walked with the bases loaded to drive in Reller to extend the advantage to 5-1.
Minnesota Crookston had a big top of the ninth as Reller powered his fourth home run of the season over the outfield fence, to plate Morris and Ben Bryant (R-So., 2B/SS, Fargo, N.D.) and extend the lead to 8-1. Three batters later, Jung launched his first career home run to drive in Thoma and Finberg and push the lead to 11-1.
Diaz shut down USciences in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the 11-1 victory for the Golden Eagles.
Minnesota Crookston will wrap up their Florida trip Fri., March 6 at 4 p.m. C.T., as they take on a familiar foe in NSIC rival St. Cloud State University. The two will meet in a non-conference tilt at Pat Thomas Stadium, a legendary park that was the first lighted baseball stadium in Florida. The field has played host to Minor League teams and Major League spring training for the Philadelphia Phillies since 1937.
