MANDAN, N.D. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team picked up a split Wednesday, April 19 with the University of Mary at Veterans Memorial Ballpark in Mandan, N.D. The Golden Eagles fell 8-0 in the first game, and rebounded for a 13-4 victory in the second game.

Minnesota Crookston improved to 26-15 (16-7 NSIC) with the victory. The Golden Eagles remain in third place in the NSIC standings. UMary improved to 15-22 (8-14 NSIC) with the split. The Golden Eagles need just three more wins to pick up their most wins in a season and their most wins in the NSIC in a single-season.

Game One
The Golden Eagle bats struggled to get going in the first game as they were limited to five hits in the game. Caden Headlee (Jr., OF, Fargo, N.D.) went 2-of-3 for the team. Mike Hallquist (Jr., 3B, Fargo, N.D.) was 1-of-3. Sawyer Satrom (R-Fr., 2B, Portland, N.D.) finished 1-of-2, as did Matt Nunn (Sr., C, Edina, Minn.).

Jonathan Draheim pitched a five-hit shutout for the Marauders. He went the complete game, striking out eight and had no walks.

Matt Nelson (R-Sr., RHP, Afton, Minn.) got the start and went five innings, allowing five runs on eight hits. Derin Gaudette (So., RHP, New York Mills, Minn.) came on in relief and went an inning, giving up three runs on two hits.

UMary jumped on the scoreboard in the second with a Kyle Jameson singled to plate Krece Papierski. A Michael Polson double brought in Jameson to extend the lead to 2-0.

In the third, Noah Hull hit a solo home run to widen the gap to 3-0.

The Marauders pushed the lead to 4-0 in the fourth when Polson doubled in Kalem Haney.

In the sixth stanza, Polson came through again, with a single to bring in Josh Walker. The final runs came in with a Cal James three-run home run, scoring him, Polson, and Jameson.

Game Two
Minnesota Crookston got their bats going in the second game as they scored 13 runs on 13 hits. The Golden Eagles hit three home runs in the game as Jake Hjelle (R-Jr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.), Mitch Goodwin (Jr., SS, Prior Lake, Minn.), and Ben Goelz (Jr., OF, Maple Lake, Minn.) all went yard in the game. Goodwin went 2-of-5, with two RBIs, and two runs scored. Hjelle was 1-of-4, with two RBIs and a run scored. Hallquist went 2-of-5, with an RBI and two runs scored. Josh Dykhoff (Fr., RHP/1B, Wadena, Minn.) went 2-of-5 with an RBI and a run scored.

Josh Dykhoff got the start and went three innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits. Brody Sorenson (Jr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) pushed his record to 3-1 with the victory. He allowed two runs on four hits in 4.2 innings. Conner Richardson (R-Sr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to finish the game.

Paxton Miller suffered the loss after allowing six runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings.

UMary jumped on the scoreboard first in the third frame. Derek Shoen reached on an infield single, and Polson scored on an error. A Hull single scored Shoen to push the advantage to 2-0.
Minnesota Crookston countered by scoring six runs in the fourth. Their first run crossed on a Goelz sacrifice fly, scoring Teddy Giefer (Jr., 1B, Courtland, Minn.). Danny Wensloff (Jr., OF/C, Roseau, Minn.) delivered an RBI single to score Satrom to knot the score 2-2. A Dykhoff single scored Goodwin to tilt the score in UMN Crookston's favor 3-2. A Hallquist single scored Wensloff. Later in the inning, Josh Dykhoff scored on a balk to extend the lead to 5-2.

 Minnesota Crookston capped off the frame with Hallquist scoring on a wild pitch to make it 6-2.

UMary trimmed the deficit to 6-3 in the fourth with a Haney solo shot.

Hjelle hit his 14^th home run of the season, tying his teammate Hallquist for the NSIC lead, giving the Golden Eagles a 7-3 lead. Goodwin followed suit with a two-run home run, scoring him, and Giefer. Goelz made it three home runs in an inning, with a solo shot to widen the gap to 10-3.

UMary cut the lead to 10-4 with a James solo home run in the seventh.

In the eighth, Hallquist scored on an error to extend the lead to 11-4.

In the ninth, Zeke Hass (Sr., OF, Eaton, Colo.) delivered an RBI double, scoring Goelz. The final run crossed with a Hjelle bases-loaded walk, plating Wensloff to push the lead to 13-4.

Minnesota Crookston is slated to play Northern State University Saturday, April 22 at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.