CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team swept Bemidji State University as they pummeled eight home runs Sunday, April 16. The Golden Eagles defeated the Beavers 11-3 and 16-5 to earn the series win.

Minnesota Crookston improved to 24-14 (14-6 NSIC) with the victories. The Golden Eagles have won the last 16 games in the series. The Golden Eagles are in third place in the NSIC standings after the wins. Bemidji State dropped to 2-33 (1-19 NSIC).

Game One
The Golden Eagles hit four home runs in the 11-3 victory in the first tilt Sunday. Minnesota Crookston was lifted by two home runs from Josh Dykhoff (1B/RHP, Wadena, Minn.), his eighth and ninth home runs of the season. Caden Headlee (Jr., OF, Fargo, N.D.) and Danny Wensloff (Jr., C/OF, Roseau, Minn.) also hit home runs in the win. 

Josh Dykhoff went 2-of-4, with two RBIs and three runs scored. Headlee went 2-of-3, with two RBIs and two runs scored. Danny Wensloff was 1-of-4, with an RBI and a run scored. Jake Hjelle (R-Jr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) went 2-of-3, with four RBIs and a run scored.

Alex Koep (Jr., LHP, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) picked up the win as he pitched a one-hitter Sunday. Koep took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Jack Munson broke up the no hitter Sunday. Koep pitched six innings, allowing two unearned runs on one hit. He struck out seven and walked two. Derin Gaudette (So., RHP, New York Mills, Minn.) finished the game, allowing an unearned run on two walks. Gaudette struck out three.

Will Lavin suffered the loss for Bemidji State, allowing six runs on four hits. Lavin struck out eight and walked five.

Minnesota Crookston jumped on the scoreboard in the third inning with a bases-clearing triple from Hjelle, plating Hallquist, Josh Dykhoff, and Matt Nunn (Sr., C, Edina, Minn.). The Golden Eagles extended the lead to 5-0 with Headlee's third home run of the season, driving in himself, and Hjelle.

The Golden Eagles pushed the lead to 6-0 in the fourth with Danny Wensloff's second home run of the season.

Minnesota Crookston widened the gap to 7-0 in the fifth as Headlee scored on a throwing error after a Ben Goelz (Jr., OF, Maple Lake, Minn.) bunt single. Later in the fifth, Mitch Goodwin (Jr., SS, Prior Lake, Minn.) used a sacrifice fly to bring in Goelz to push the lead to 8-0.

In the sixth, Josh Dykhoff slammed his first home run of the game to move the score to 9-0. Later in the frame, Hjelle singled in Mike Hallquist (Jr., 3B, Fargo, N.D.) make the tally 10-0.

The Beavers got two runs back in the sixth on a Munson single, driving in James Wirt, and Isaiah Biehn.

The Golden Eagles got one back in the top of the seventh with Josh Dykhoff's second home run of the game, extending the lead to 11-2.

Bemidji State got their final tally in the bottom of the seventh when Derek Dolezal scored on a wild pitch, but it wouldn't be enough to overcome the Golden Eagles.

Game Two 

Minnesota Crookston continued to showcase their hot bats in the second game, scoring 16 runs on 14 hits. The Golden Eagles hit four more home runs in the game. Headlee and Danny Wensloff each hit their second home runs of the day. 

Danny Wensloff ignited UMN Crookston, going 3-of-5, with three runs scored and three RBIs. Hallquist separated himself from Hjelle with his league-leading 14th home run of the season. The two Golden Eagles have been going toe-to-toe in the NSIC home run chase. Hjelle finished 4-of-5, with an RBI and three runs scored. Headlee went 2-of-3, with two RBIs and a run scored.

Jake Osowski (R-Jr., RHP, East Grand Forks, Minn.) picked up his team-leading sixth win, moving to 6-1. Osowski went five innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits. He struck out seven and walked one. Brody Sorenson (Jr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) pitched two scoreless innings, striking out four. Jackson Schneider (R-Sr., RHP, Forest Lake, Minn.) pitched a scoreless eighth, while Jakob Wiirre (Sr., RHP, Mims, Fla.) pitched the final frame of the win.

Logan Barrick suffered the loss after allowing six earned runs on eight hits. He struck out eight, and walked six.

The Golden Eagles jumped on the scoreboard in the first with a three-run home run from Hallquist. UMN Crookston extended the lead to 4-0 when Hjelle scored on a Sawyer Satrom (R-Fr., IF, Portland, N.D.) groundout.

Minnesota Crookston pushed their lead to 5-0 in the second with Danny Wensloff's second home run of the day. UMN Crookston pushed their lead to 6-0 when Hjelle singled in Josh Dykhoff.

The Golden Eagles ran into defensive troubles as they committed four errors in the third. UMN Crookston finished with six errors in the game. The first run of hte third came in with a Wirt double to plate Biehn. A Munson sacrifice fly scored Wirt to trim the BSU deficit to 6-2. Later in the frame, Hunter Daymond scored on a throwing error to trim the Golden Eagle lead to 6-3. The final run of the frame came when Dolezal singled in Jackson Schaffer.

Minnesota Crookston got two runs back in the fourth with a Headlee two-run blast, bringing in himself, and Hjelle to extend the lead to 8-4.

The Golden Eagles pushed their lead to 9-4 in the sixth wehn Hjelle scored on a wild pitch. In the seventh, Danny Wensloff scored on a throwing error to push the advantage to 10-4.

In the eighth, UMN Crookston pushed their lead to 11-4 with a Goodwin single to plate pinch-runner Conner Fonger (Sr., OF, Superior, Wis.). A Danny Wensloff triple brought in Goodwin, and Teddy Giefer (Jr., 1B, Courtland, Minn.) to extend the lead to 13-4.

In the top of the ninth, Goelz powered a three-run shot over the fence, bringing in Fonger, and Connor Bushbaum (R-Fr., OF, Saginaw, Minn.).

Bemidji State picked up a final run in the bottom of the ninth when Riley Czech scored when Wirt reached on an error. However, it would not be enough to overcome the deficit as UMN Crookston won 16-5.

Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State will play in the series finale Monday, April 17 at 12 p.m., in Crookston, Minn.