Brandon, S.D. – Minnesota Crookston baseball headed South down I-29 to open up their conference season against the University of Sioux Falls for a doubleheader.
 
The Cougars would score two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to walk-off the Golden Eagles in game one, 3-2. In game two, it was a hit parade for the maroon and gold, who gathered 18 hits for a 17-7 win to earn the split.
 
With the split, Minnesota Crookston moves to 9-12 (1-1 NSIC).
 
Game One
The two teams would be scoreless through three, but the middle of the order for the Golden Eagles would come through once again.
 
Jake Hjelle (R-So., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) would lead off the top of the fourth with a single. Ben Thoma (R-Sr., C/3B, Clearbrook, Minn.) would hit his team and conference leading eighth home run the next at-bat to put the Golden Eagles up, 2-0.
 
Connor King would get the Cougars on the board and cut the deficit to one with an RBI single to right field.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, Jake Dykhoff (R-Jr., P, Wadena, Minn.) would get out of a jam, enforcing a double play. It was the second DP enforced by Dykhoff.
 
The Cougars would score a pair of two out runs in the bottom of the seventh to win the opening game of the NSIC doubleheader, 3-2.
 
Thoma led the way on the day, going 2-3 with two RBI. Hjelle had a hit, as did Matt Nunn (Jr., C, Edina, Minn.) and Tyler Jochen (R-Sr., IF, San Jose, Calif.).
 
Dykhoff falls to 4-2 on the season after going 6.2 innings, giving up three runs on nine hits. The redshirt junior struck out four Cougars on the day.
 
Game Two
The Golden Eagles would leave no doubt in game two. The Golden Eagles would strike in the top of the first inning after Hjelle collected an RBI groundout and Zeke Hass (Jr., OF, Eaton, Colo.) would score two on a double. USF would get one back in the bottom of the first, but the maroon and gold would lead 3-1.
 
The Golden Eagles would add two more in the top of the second, highlighted by another RBI double, this time off the bat of Mitch Goodwin (So., SS, Prior Lake, Minn.).
 
The Golden Eagles would score another in the fourth, but the Cougars would answer with a run of their own to cut the lead to 6-4, heading into the fifth inning.
 
In the fifth, Hass would double again, scoring Hjelle. That would be the start of a five-run inning that would break open the game.
 
When you're hot, you're hot. Thoma would smack his team-high ninth home run of the season, scoring Jochen, making it 13-4.
 
The Cougars would try to chip away as they would strike for three in the bottom of the eighth inning, but Hjelle would crush his seventh home run over the center field fence, scoring three. The Golden Eagles would score another run in the top of the ninth for the 17-7 win in game two.
 
The Golden Eagles would smack 18 hits, tied for a season-high. Goodwin went 4-5, a career-high in hits for the shortstop, while Hjelle went 3-6 and Hass went 3-5 from the plate in game two. Hjelle also drove in four runs, bringing his total to 26 RBI on the season.
 
Alex Koep (So., LHP, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) continues his good start on the hill. Koep improves to 2-1 on the season, after going 7.0 innings, while giving up four runs on four hits and striking out 10. Brody Sorenson (So., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) and Isaac Roers (Fr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) each pitched an inning in relief to close the door.
 
What's Next
Minnesota Crookston will look for the series win over USF tomorrow. First pitch is set for noon from Brandon, S.D.