FORT SCOTT, Kan. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team launched four home runs in a 15-11 victory over St. Cloud State University Monday, March 8 at Dave Regan Stadium at LaRoche Baseball Complex in Fort Scott, Kan.
Minnesota Crookston starts out the season with a 3-0 mark for the first time in the NCAA Division II era (since 2000). St. Cloud State falls to 0-3 with Monday's loss.
Jackson Schneider picked up the win in relief for UMN Crookston after tossing 2.1 innings with two strikeouts and just three hits allowed.
Conner Richardson (R-So., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) got the start and tossed 5.2 innings with four strikeouts and three walks and four hits allowed.
Minnesota Crookston was led by
Jake Hjelle (R-Fr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.), who went 2-of-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored.
Brock Reller (R-Jr., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.), the NSIC Player of the Week, went 2-of-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Eli Jung (R-Jr., OF, Dickinson, N.D.) finished 2-of-5 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Landyn Swenson (R-Sr., OF, Devils Lake, N.D.) went 3-of-5 with two RBIs.
UMN Crookston belted four home runs in the game as they have showcased their power through the first three tilts. Minnesota Crookston has 10 home runs through the first three games. The Golden Eagles are hitting .358 this season with 44 doubles, nine doubles, three triples, and 41 RBIs. The Golden Eagles have a .724 slugging percentage.
Minnesota Crookston jumped out to a lead right out of the gate when
Will Zimmerman (R-Sr., OF/IF, Park River, N.D.) launched a two-run home run to left center to drive in himself and
Ben Bryant.
The Golden Eagles extended their lead to 3-0 when Swenson singled to plate
Bobby Chu.
UMN Crookston pushed their lead to 4-0 when Reller rocketed his fourth home run of the season as he led off the frame. The Huskies got two runs back in their half of the third. Max Gamm singled to right field to drive in Tate Wallat. Two at-bats later Jake Shusterich singled up the middle to drive in Gamm to trim the deficit to 4-2.
Minnesota Crookston pushed their lead to 5-2 as
Scott Finberg (R-Sr., 3B, Stillwater, Minn.) was hit by pitch with the bases loaded, driving in Bryant. UMN Crookston pushed their advantage to 6-2 when Hjelle's sacrifice fly scored Zimmerman.
St. Cloud State was able to trim the lead to 6-3 with a Tyler Schiller pinch-hit home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. UMN Crookston got the run back in the top of the seventh with a solo shot from
Eli Jung to give the Golden Eagles a 7-3 advantage.
The Huskies got to the bullpen of Minnesota Crookston in the bottom of the seventh inning as they scored four runs off
Joey Greco. St. Cloud State started out their scoring in the stanza with a two-run home run from Paul Steffensen to drive in himself and John Nett. Later in the inning, Caleb Marquez hit a two-run shot to plate himself and Shusterich.
Finberg came through in a big spot as he doubled with the bases loaded to drive in
Mason Ruhlman (R-Sr., 2B, Algonac, Mich.) and Zimmerman to put UMN Crookston back on top 9-7. UMN Crookston extended their lead to 10-7 when Finberg scored on a Jung groundout. Minnesota Crookston pushed their advantage to 11-7 when Swenson singled to drive in Hjelle.
The Huskies got two runs back in the bottom of the eighth with a Nett two-run home run to drive in himself and Wallat as they trimmed the lead to 11-9.
Minnesota Crookston widened the gap in the top of the ninth as they scored four runs. Reller came through with a triple down the right field line to score Ruhlman. Later in the inning, Hjelle hit a three-run home run to push the lead to 15-9.
The Huskies got two runs back in the bottom of the ninth on Schiller's second home run of the day, but they ultimately came up short ias the Golden Eagles won 15-11.
UMN Crookston concludes their trip to Kansas on March 10 when they take on Bemidji State University at 11:30 a.m. in Fort Scott, Kan.
