FORT SCOTT, Kan. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team walked off with a 10-9 win in the 11^th inning against St. Cloud State University Sunday, March 7 at Dave Regan Stadium at the LaRoche Baseball Complex in Fort Scott, Kan. Mason Ruhlman (R-Sr., 2B, Algonac, Mich.) came in on an error after driving in the game-tying run with a double earlier in the 11^th frame.

UMN Crookston moves to 2-0 with Sunday's victory. The Golden Eagles open up the year with a 2-0 mark for the first time since 2012 when two wins over Valley City State University led Minnesota Crookston to a 2-0 start. St. Cloud State falls to 0-2 with the loss. The Huskies had won the last four games over the Golden Eagles before Saturday's win. Minnesota Crookston last defeated St. Cloud State April 19, 2019 with a 5-3 victory in Crookston, Minn. The Huskies won 10-9 over UMN Crookston in their last meeting March 6, 2020, the final game of the shortened 2020 season for the Golden Eagles.

Minnesota Crookston was guided by the bat of Brock Reller (R-Jr., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.), as he went 2-of-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored, with two walks. Reller's two hits were a two-run home run in the first inning, and a three-run blast in the seventh frame. Ruhlman finished 1-of-4 with one RBI and two runs scored.

Jake Dykhoff (Jr., RHP, Wadena, Minn.) got the start for UMN Crookston and went six innings with no runs allowed on six hits with nine strikeouts in the quality start. Alex Koep (Fr., LHP, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) got his first career collegiate win in his first collegiate appearance, tossing one inning and allowing just one run on one walk with no hits and a strikeout.

Matt Osterberg got the start for St. Cloud State and gave up three runs on three this with five strikeouts and four walks. The loss for the Huskies went to Trevor Koenig, who allowed one earned run on three walks with two hits allowed and one strikeout.

UMN Crookston got out to an early 5-0 lead and went ahead 8-5 in the bottom of the ninth. However, a two-run home run by St. Cloud State's Lenny Walker knotted up the game 8-8 and forced extra innings. The Huskies looked to the bat of Walker, as he had a sacrifice fly to score Drew Bulson to go into the bottom of the 11^th up 9-8.

Minnesota Crookston came through with a double from Ruhlman to plate Will Zimmerman (R-Sr., IF/OF, Park River, N.D.) to tie the game up 10-10. Ruhlman then came into score on an error at second base following a Jake Hjelle (R-Fr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) fielder's choice.

In the fifth inning, UMN Crookston scored when Matthew Thielen (Fr., Wheaton, Minn.) scored on a fielder's choice, followed by Landyn Swenson (R-Sr., OF, Devils Lake, N.D.) scoring on a passed ball. Scott Finberg (R-Sr., 3B, Stillwater, Minn.) came across the plate on a passed ball in the sixth inning. The rest of the runs came off Reller home runs, the 11^th inning error, and Ruhlman's clutch double.

The Golden Eagles conclude their first two games of the 2021 season hitting .349 as a team with an impressive 33 runs scored, eight doubles, two triples, six home runs, and 26 RBIs.

Minnesota Crookston returns to action as they take on St. Cloud State for a second time in Fort Scott, Kan. Monday, March 8 at 11:30 a.m.