AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team capped off the 2023 RussMatt Central Florida Invitational with a 12-6 win over D'Youville University Sunday, March 12 in Auburndale, Fla. The Golden Eagles scored seven runs in the second stanza to help catapult the victory over the Saints.

Minnesota Crookston improved to 10-8, ending their trip to Florida with a 7-3 record. The Golden Eagles are currently on a four-game winning streak entering NSIC play. The Saints dropped to 6-5 with Sunday's loss.

Brody Sorenson (Jr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) got the win in relief. He went 4.2 innings, allowing no runs, on five hits. Sorenson struck out seven and walked just one. Matt Nelson (R-Sr., RHP, Afton, Minn.) started and tossed two innings, giving up six runs, on five hits.

Max Weber (So., RHP, St. Paul, Minn.) pitched 0.1 innings, allowing no runs, with no hits. Derin Gaudette (So., RHP, New York Mills, Minn.) came in and pitched a shutout inning, with two hits allowed. Nate Grafsgaard (Jr., RHP, Devils Lake, N.D.) went one inning, with no runs on two hits.

Billy Morris started for the Saints and allowed seven innings in 1.2 innings of work. He gave up seven hits.

Minnesota Crookston's bats were strong in Sunday's effort. The Golden Eagles notched 16 hits and scored 12 runs. Ben Goelz (Jr., OF, Maple Lake, Minn.) got everything started in the leadoff, going 3-of-6, with two RBIs and two runs scored. Josh Dykhoff (Fr., RHP/1B, Wadena, Minn.) was 2-of-5, with two RBIs, and a run scored. Mike Hallquist (Jr., 3B, Fargo, N.D.) continued his great start to the season, going 2-of-4, with three RBIs, and two runs scored. Caden Headlee (Jr., OF, Fargo, N.D.) went 3-of-5, with an RBI, and two runs scored. Mitch Goodwin (Jr., SS, Prior Lake, Minn.) finished 2-of-5, with two RBIs and two runs scored. Fargo-natives Headlee and Hallquist each picked up home runs for UMN Crookston.

D'Youville opened the scoring when Craig Oliver walked with the bases loaded, scoring Billy Morris. The Saints pushed the lead to 5-0 with a grand slam from Blaise Kolbert, driving in himself, Oliver, Alec Boucher, and Ethan Hammond.

The Golden Eagles had the answer in the second stanza. Headlee commenced the frame with a solo home run. Goodwin then delivered a triple, plating Teddy Giefer (Jr., 1B, Courtland, Minn.) to trim the deficit to 5-2. Goelz then came up and singled, bringing in Goodwin. A Josh Dykhoff single, plated Paxton Nelson (Sr., IF, Spicer, Minn.) to make it 5-4. To cap off the inning, Hallquist hit a three-run blast, plating himself, Josh Dykhoff, and Goelz.

D'Youville cut the Golden Eagle lead to 7-6 with a Hammond triple to drive in Morris in the bottom of the second.

UMN Crookston pushed their advantage to 8-6 in the sixth when Hallquist stole home to push the advantage to 8-6.

In the seventh, Goelz singled in Goodwin, followed by a Josh Dykhoff double to drive in Goelz to extend the lead to 10-6.

UMN Crookston capped off the inning with a Giefer double to score Jake Hjelle (R-Jr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.), along with a Goodwin sacrifice fly to plate Headlee.

The Golden Eagles open NSIC play Saturday, March 18 at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. against Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. Minnesota Crookston is ahead of the record from the 2022 season as they went into conference play with an 8-11 record last season.