CROOKSTON, Minn. – The No. 24 University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team returned to action for the first time since April 11 and picked up a split with Southwest Minnesota State University Thursday, April 22 at the UMC Baseball Field in Crookston, Minn. The Golden Eagles used 11 strikeouts in a complete game from Jake Dykhoff (Jr., RHP, Wadena, Minn.) along with three RBIs from Eli Jung (R-Jr., OF, Dickinson, N.D.) and a two-run home run from Tyler Jochen (R-Jr., 2B/SS, San Jose, Calif.) to pick up a 5-3 win in game one. UMN Crookston forced extra innings in game two using a Brock Reller (Sr., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.) game tying two-run blast in the bottom of the ninth. However, Southwest Minnesota State scored a run in the Top of the 10^th to secure the 8-7 victory.

Minnesota Crookston moves to 17-3 (12-3 NSIC) to continue their best start in program history. UMN Crookston is currently second in the NSIC standings behind Minnesota State University. Southwest Minnesota State moves to 10-16 (8-15 NSIC) with Thursday's split. The Mustangs are currently in 12^th in the NSIC. The Golden Eagles also set the school record for home runs in a season Thursday, surpassing the record of 37 set during the 2016 season. Landyn Swenson (R-Sr., OF, Devils Lake, N.D.) was the player who hit the home run to break the record. The Golden Eagles have 40 home runs for the 2021 season.

Game One
Dykhoff continued his great season for the Golden Eagles with another strong outing on the bump for UMN Crookston. Dykhoff pitched a perfect game through 4.1 innings before allowing a walk and a double in the top of the fifth. He pitched a complete game, allowing just three runs on four hits. Dykhoff notched 11 strikeouts with just two walks. The junior college transfer has a 1.54 ERA on the season with just six runs allowed in 35.0 innings pitched. Dykhoff has a 4-0 mark.

Jung led UMN Crookston at the plate, going 2-of-2 with three RBIs and a run scored. Jochen was 1-of-3 with a two-run home run. Trey Larimer (R-Fr., C, Thompson, N.D.) got the first start of his career behind the dish.

Hayden Molva got the start for the Mustangs and tossed 5.2 innings giving up two earned run on three hits. Molva struck out 10 and walked just three.

The Golden Eagles jumped on the scoreboard with three runs in the bottom of the first. With two out, Jung doubled to left field to clear the bases, driving in Jake Hjelle (R-Fr., 1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.), Scott Finberg (R-Sr., 3B, Stillwater, Minn.), and Reller.

Minnesota Crookston pushed their lead to 5-0 with a home run over the left field fence by Jochen, driving in himself and Jung.

The Mustangs finally broke up Dykhoff's perfect game when Max Kalenberg was walked with one out. Chase McDaniel then doubled. Kalenberg came in on a wild pitch to trim the deficit to 5-1.

Southwest Minnesota State made a bigger dent when Brodie Smith homered to cut the Golden Eagle to 5-2. Jake Hendricks then doubled to plate Nathan Kuhn to trim the deficit to 5-3. The Mustangs stranded two as Dykhoff struck out McDaniel to keep the score at 5-3.

Dykhoff was able to preserve the win in the top of the seventh, as UMN Crookston picked up the 5-3 win.

Game Two
Minnesota Crookston hit three home runs in the second game of the doubleheader and broke the school record for home runs in a season. The Golden Eagles forced extra innings when Reller came up in a crucial spot with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and drove one deep over the fence in right center to drive in Conner Fonger (R-Fr., OF, Superior, Wis.) and himself and force extra innings. SMSU took the win with a run in the top of the 10^th.

Alex Koep (Fr., LHP, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) got the start and went 3.2 innings, allowing four runs on four hits with three strikeouts and four walks allowed. Jake Osowski (R-Fr., RHP, East Grand Forks, Minn.) was effective in relief, allowing no runs on no hits with three strikeouts. Conner Richardson (R-So., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) ended up with the loss in relief, giving up an unearned run on two hits in one innings on the bump.

Ansen Dulas got the start and tossed 5.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits with seven strikeouts. Shawn Williams was strong in relief for the Mustangs, going 1.2 innings, giving up no runs on one hit. The win went to Jared Tschetter who went 1.1 innings and allowed no runs and struck out three of four batters faced.

Southwest Minnesota State was paced by two home runs from Derek Smith. The Mustangs hit four home runs in the game, with Hendricks and Matt Bezdicek hitting the other two.

Minnesota Crookston picked up home runs from Reller, Swenson, and Hjelle. Hjelle led the team, going 2-of-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Reller was 1-of-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Swenson finished 2-of-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Carter Mulcahy (Fr., C, Perham, Minn.) got his first career start and his first career hit.

The Mustangs started the scoring in the top of the first when Bezdicek singled in Kuhn to make it 1-0.

Southwest Minnesota State took a 2-0 lead with a solo shot from Derek Smith in the top of the second frame.

The Golden Eagles got a run back in the bottom of the second when Jung reached on an error in right field, allowing Hjelle to come in to score and cut it to 2-1.

The Mustangs pushed the lead to 4-1 in the top of the third with a two-run homer from Bezdicek.

Minnesota Crookston cut it to 4-2 when Swenson led the bottom of the third off with a solo shot over the fence in left center, to break the school home run record. Later in the frame, Hjelle blasted a three-run shot to score Finberg, and Mason Ruhlman (R-Sr., 2B, Algonac, Mich.) as Minnesota Crookston took a 5-4 lead.

The game remained 5-4 until the top of the seventh when with a swing of the bat, Hendricks knotted up the score 5-5.

Minnesota Crookston loaded the bases up in the bottom of the seventh, but the Mustangs got out of trouble, keeping the game tied 5-5.

Southwest Minnesota State took a 6-5 lead in the top of the eighth when Derek Smith had a homer to left field, his second of the game.

The Mustangs got a security run in the top of the ninth when Kalenberg singled to drive in Brodie Smith.

Minnesota Crookston put a runner on with two out when Ruhlman walked. Fonger pinch ran and moved to second on a stolen base. That is when Reller came through in the clutch with a powerful blast to right center to knot the game up 7-7 and force extra innings.

Southwest Minnesota State got a base runner when McDaniel reached on a dropped attempt in left field. Caleb Gronholz came through with a single to drive in McDaniel to make it 8-7 in favor of the Mustangs.

Minnesota Crookston was unable to get any base runners in the bottom of the 10^th as the Mustangs picked up the 8-7 win.

The Golden Eagles will hit the road to take on St. Cloud State University Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25.