FORT SCOTT, Kan. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team continued their best start in the NCAA Division II era with a 17-6 win over Bemidji State University Match 10. The Golden Eagles wrapped up their trip to Dave Regan Stadium at the LaRoche Baseball Complex in Fort Scott, Kan.
UMN Crookston moves to an unblemished 4-0 record with Wednesday's win. Bemidji State falls to 1-3 on the season.

The Golden Eagles had 17 hits, including an astonishing six home runs in the game. UMN Crookston has 16 home runs in four games. The Golden Eagles are hitting .384 as a team with a 1.337 OPS and a .818 slugging percentage. Brock Reller (R-Jr., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.) launched two more home runs Wednesday. The slugger has six home runs through four games for a 1.722 slugging percentage. He was the NSIC Player of the Week as named Monday. UMN Crookston is already just six home runs shy of breaking into the top five all-time in program history for the most home runs in a season. The record was 37 home runs during the 2016 campaign.

UMN Crookston was guided by Reller, who went 4-of-5 with six RBIs and four runs scored. Will Zimmerman (R-Sr., OF/IF, Park River, N.D.) added two home runs, as well, going 2-of-3 with three RBIs and four runs scored. Mason Ruhlman (R-Sr., 2B, Algonac, Mich.) went 2-of-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Scott Finberg (R-Sr., 3B, Stillwater, Minn.) had a long ball in the game, and went 2-of-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Eli Jung (R-Jr., OF, Dickinson, N.D.) also had a home run, going 1-of-4 with one RBI and a run scored. Landyn Swenson (R-Sr., OF, Devils Lake, N.D.) finished the day 2-of-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Matt Nelson (R-So., RHP, Afton, Minn.) got the win on the mound after tossing five innings and allowed three runs on five hits with eight strikeouts and just one walk. Alex Koep (Fr., LHP, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) had an effective outing in relief, allowing no runs on one hit with one strikeout in an inning of work. Tyler Hegg (R-So., RHP, Thompson, N.D.) allowed three runs on two hits with two walks allowed.

The loss for Bemidji State went to Alex Fietek, who allowed 12 runs in 3.2 innings with four strikeouts and five walks. Parker Borg led the Bemidji State bats, going 3-of-3 with two runs scored.

Reller and Finberg got the scoring started in the first inning as Reller hit a three-run home run to drive in himself, Ruhlman, and Zimmerman. Finberg launched a solo shot to push the lead to 4-0.

In the second stanza, Ruhlman had a two RBI single, to plate Ben Bryant (R-So., 2B/SS, Fargo, N.D.) and Swenson. Later in the inning, Zimmerman scored on a double steal.

Bemidji State got a run back in the bottom of the second when Borg scored on a wild pitch.

UMN Crookston pushed their lead to 8-1 when Jung hit a solo home run to right center. The Golden Eagles pushed their advantage to 9-1 when Bryant singled to plate Swenson. Later in the frame, Zimmerman hit a two-run home run to plate himself and Bryant.

In the top of the fourth, Swenson singled to score Reller to widen the gap to 12-1.

Bemidji State trimmed the deficit to 12-3 when Anderson doubled to score Borg and Sam Kalberer.

UMN Crookston added three runs in the fifth inning. Reller started out the scoring with his second home run of the game, plating himself and Ruhlman. Later in the stanza, Zimmerman hit his second home run of the game to push the lead to 13-3. Reller followed it up with his second home run of the game, driving in himself and Bryant and extending the Golden Eagle lead to 16-3.

In the sixth frame, Finberg tripled to left field to plate Reller to widen the gap to 17-3.

Bemidji State got three runs back in the bottom of the seventh. Noah Boser reached on a fielder's choice, driving in Matthew Rhoades. Logan Barrick then hit a two-run shot to drive in himself and Boser to trim the lead to 17-6.

Minnesota Crookston would earn the 17-6 victory in seven innings.

The Golden Eagles open up play in the NSIC Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21 against Winona State University in Winona, Minn.