FAYETTE, Iowa – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team split Wednesday's doubleheader March 30 with a 4-2 victory in game one, and a 17-7 loss to Upper Iowa University at Robertson Woods Field in Fayette, Iowa.

The Golden Eagles moved to 12-15 (4-4 NSIC) with the split. Upper Iowa now sits at 4-15 (2-6 NSIC) after Wednesday.

Game One
Minnesota Crookston opened the day by taking the first game 4-2 over Upper Iowa. The Golden Eagles were guided by the pitching of Jake Osowski (R-So., RHP, East Grand Forks, Minn.), who went 6.2 innings, allowing two unearned runs, on five hits. Osowski struck out six, and walked just one. Isaac Roers (Fr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) picked up the save after retiring the final batter of the game.

The Golden Eagles had eight hits in the game. Jake Hjelle (R-So., 3B/OF, East Grand Forks, Minn.) went 2-of-4, with two runs scored. Brad Morris (R-Sr., OF, Auckland, New Zealand) finished the day 2-of-3, with an RBI. Ben Thoma (R-Sr., C/3B, Clearbrook, Minn.) went 1-of-3, with an RBI, and a run scored. Jack Peppel (Sr., 1B, Olivia, Minn.) was 1-of-2, with an RBI.

Race Geesink suffered the loss in relief, after allowing two earned runs, on five hits in three innings. Nicholas Pica started the game, going four innings, allowing no runs, on three hits.

The Upper Iowa bats were limited to five hits. Nicholas Vite paced the Peacocks, going 2-of-3, with a run scored. Jake Hilmer was 1-of-2, with an RBI. Cael Luzum went 1-of-3, with an RBI.

The two teams were caught up in a pitcher's duel over the first five innings. UMN Crookston finally broke through for the first run in the top of the sixth when Thoma singled to drive in Hjelle. The Golden Eagles extended their lead to 2-0 with a Peppel sacrifice fly, plating Thoma.

The Peacocks got a run back in the bottom of the sixth when Hilmer singled to left field, bringing home Vite to cut the deficit to 2-1.

The Golden Eagles added run support in the top of the seventh. With the bases loaded, Morris was hit by a pitch, driving in pinch-runner Paxton Nelson. UMN Crookston widened the gap to 4-1 when Goelz hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Hjelle.

Upper Iowa did not go down easy. Luzum doubled in Samuel Grushkin to trim the deficit to 4-2. A Jerry Garcia walk gave the Peacocks the game-tying run on first. However, Roers came on to secure the final out to preserve the victory.

Game Two
Upper Iowa jumped out to an early lead with an 8-0 advantage and didn't look back in a 17-7 victory.

The Peacocks took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Hilmer singled through the left side, driving in Ryan Hill. Upper Iowa extended their advantage to 2-0 when Vite scored on a Kainoa Torres sacrifice bunt. The Peacocks pushed their lead to 3-0 when Grushkin singled, driving in Hilmer. Upper Iowa widened the gap to 4-0 with a Luzum single, plating Grushkin. A Garcia single, and an outfield throwing error plated Luzum, and Tanner Stein to push the Peacock lead to 6-0. Upper Iowa moved their lead to 7-0 when Hill doubled in Garcia. The Peacocks put a stamp on the inning with a Vite single, scoring Hill to make it 8-0.

Upper Iowa extended their lead to 9-0 in the bottom of the second when Stein singled, driving in Torres. The Peacocks pushed the advantage to 10-0 when Stein scored on a wild pitch. Their advantage was extended to 11-0 with a Hull double, scoring Garcia.

Minnesota Crookston chomped into the lead in the top of the third. Peppel scored first when Morris reached on a fielder's choice. The Golden Eagles trimmed the deficit to 11-2 when Hjelle was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Tyler Jochen (R-Sr., 2B/SS, San Jose, Calif.). With the bases still loaded, Thoma launched his 10^th home run of the season, a grand slam, driving in Hjelle, Morris, and Zeke Hass cutting the Upper Iowa lead to 11-6.

UMN Crookston pulled within 11-7 in the top of the fourth with a Thoma double, scoring Hjelle.

Upper Iowa added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth when Hull put out a two-run home run, plating himself, and Garcia to make it 13-7.

The Peacocks pushed their lead to 14-7 in the bottom of the fifth with a Grushkin single, scoring Hilmer. Upper Iowa widened their lead to 15-7 later in the stanza when Garcia crossed the plate on an Ethan Sawyer groundout. The Peacocks capped off the inning with a Grushkin single, driving in Hilmer, and Hull to push the advantage to 17-7. Upper Iowa got out of the stanza when Morris threw out Torres at third base for the final out.
Minnesota Crookston was unable to make up the deficit, as Upper Iowa picked up the 17-7 win.

Jason Katz picked up the win for Upper Iowa. He allowed just one run, on four hits, with one strikeout, and one walk.

Joey Greco (R-Jr., RHP, Half Moon Bay, Calif.) started the game and allowed eight runs, on seven hits, in 0.2 innings. Phil Hindes (R-Sr., RHP, Tucson, Ariz.) pitched 2.1 innings for the Golden Eagles, allowing two runs, on three hits. Hindes struck out one, and walked none.

The Golden Eagles were guided at the plate by Thoma, who went 2-of-3, with one run scored, and five RBIs, including a grand slam. Hjelle went 1-of-3, with one RBI, and two runs scored. Morris was 1-of-4, with an RBI, and a run scored.

The Peacocks were led by Hilmer, who went 4-of-4, with one RBI, and three runs scored. Hull went 4-of-4, with four RBIs, and four runs scored. Garcia went 4-of-4, with an RBI, and four runs scored. Grushkin finished the game 4-of-5, with four RBIs, and a run scored.

The Golden Eagles are slated to host No. 17 Augustana University Saturday, April 2 at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.