CROOKSTON, Minn.  – The 19^th-ranked University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team ended the regular-season with a 4-3 victory over Minot State University Saturday, May 8 at Corbett Field in Minot, N.D. The Golden Eagles were propelled by a pair of home runs in the seventh inning from Mason Ruhlman (R-Sr., 2B, Algonac, Mich.) and Brock Reller (Sr., OF, Grand Forks, N.D.).

The Golden Eagles improve to 23-10 (18-10 NSIC) with Saturday's win over Minot State. The Beavers fall to 24-15 (22-12 NSIC) with the loss.

Matt Nelson (R-So., RHP, Afton, Minn.) had a strong start on the bump, tossing 5.2 innings and allowing three unearned runs on three hits. Nelson struck out 12 and walked just four. It was the first outing for Nelson since April 25. Tyler Hegg (R-So., RHP, Thompson, N.D.) got the victory, his second of the season. He went 1.1 innings and allowed no runs. Brody Sorenson (Fr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) picked up his sixth save of the season.

Reller went 2-of-2 with two RBIs and a run scored. Reller tied Reed Hjelle's school-record with his 28^th home run of his career. Reller leads the NSIC with 14 home runs. Ruhlman finished 2-of-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Ben Bryant (R-Jr., 2B/SS, Fargo, N.D.) finished 1-of-5 with a run scored.

Minot State was led by Ryley Humrighouse, who went 2-of-4 with two runs scored. The loss for the Beavers went to Trevyn Badger, who allowed two runs on two hits in 1.1 innings of work. Dominick Parkhurst got the start, and allowed two runs on two hits in four innings on the mound.

Minnesota Crookston jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Reller doubled to plate Bryant in the first stanza.

Minot State trimmed the deficit to 2-1 when Humrighouse scored on a double play in the bottom of the third.

The Beavers knotted up the score 2-2 when Humrighouse scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth.

Minot State extended the lead to 3-2 when Nolan Monthei scored on a passed ball. Hegg came on and worked out of trouble, as the Beavers left three runners stranded.

The Golden Eagles overtook Minot State for the lead in the top of the seventh. Ruhlman tied up the score 3-3 with a solo shot. In the next at-bat, Reller powered one over the fence to put UMN Crookston ahead 4-3.

Minot State had one final shot after a walk to Gunnar Kozlowitz, but Sorenson got three-straight outs to get the save and preserve the 4-3 win.

Minnesota Crookston will return to Minot State for the first round of the NSIC Tournament Thursday, May 13 and Friday, May 14. The series will be a best-of-three series with one game on Thursday, and potentially two games on Friday. The Golden Eagles will be the No. 5 seed and Minot State is the No. 4 seed in the tournament. The tournament field is set, but one seed is still in flux as University of Mary and Northern State University will play one game Sunday. UMary will either be the No. 6 seed or the No. 7 seed, which goes the same for Winona State University.

The winner of the best of three series advances to compete in Sioux Falls, S.D., in the remainder of the NSIC Tournament May 19-21 in Sioux Falls, S.D.