CROOKSTON, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball powered past Northern State University 18-3 in a run-rule victory Sunday, April 23 at the UMN Crookston Baseball Field in Crookston, Minn. The Golden Eagles have scored 15 or more runs on seven occasions this season.

The Golden Eagles improved to 27-15 (17-7 NSIC) with Sunday's win. Minnesota Crookston is just two wins away from setting their school-record for single-season wins and conference wins in a season. Northern State dropped to 10-21 (5-15 NSIC) with Sunday's loss.

Alex Koep (Sr., LHP, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) improved to 6-1 with Sunday's win. Koep started out in fine fashion as he recorded the immaculate inning, striking out the Wolves on nine pitched in the top of the first. Koep tossed five innings, allowing one run on five hits. He struck out nine and walked just three. Jackson Schneider (R-Sr., RHP, Forest Lake, Minn.) pitched a scoreless sixth. Jakob Wiirre (Sr., RHP, Mims, Fla.) tossed the seventh, allowing two unearned runs on two hits.

Brian Baker suffered the loss after giving up eight earned runs on 10 hits. Bake struck out two, and walked three.

Both teams emptied their benches Sunday as the Golden Eagles played 21 players, and Northern State played 22 players, for a combined 43 players in the game.

Minnesota Crookston notched 18 runs on 17 hits. Mike Hallquist (Jr., 3B, Fargo, N.D.) hit his league-leading 15^th home run. He went 1-of-3, with three RBIs, and two runs scored. Danny Wensloff (Jr., OF/C, Roseau, Minn.) reached all five times he was at the plate. He was 2-of-2, with an RBI, and four runs scored. Wensloff reached on three walks. Caden Headlee (Jr., OF, Fargo, N.D.) was 3-of-4, with three runs scored. Sawyer Satrom (R-Fr., IF, Portland, N.D.) finished 3-of-3, with an RBI, and two runs scored. Matt Nunn (Sr., C, Edina, Minn.) was 2-of-4, with two RBIs, and a run scored.

The Golden Eagles opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with an RBI single from Jake Hjelle (R-Jr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.), plating Wensloff. In the second, Nunn singled in Satrom to make it 2-0.

Northern State cut the deficit to 2-1 in the third with a Jack Paulson RBI double, scoring Austin Portner.

The Golden Eagles got the run back in the third when Headlee took both third and home on a wild pitch.

Minnesota Crookston blew the game open in the fourth, as they batted 13 and scored nine runs. The Golden Eagles were lifted by a three-run home run by Hallquist, scoring him, Josh Dykhoff (Fr., 1B/RHP, Wadena, Minn.), and Wensloff. Satrom delivered an RBI double to score Ben Goelz (Sr., OF, Maple Lake, Minn.). Mitch Goodwin (Jr., SS, Prior Lake, Minn.) came through with a double to plate Satrom, while Wensloff hit a little-league home run, scoring after reaching on a double and a Northern State error, Nunn also came in on the play.

The Golden Eagles scored six more runs in the fifth. They were propelled by a bases-clearing double from Josh Dykhoff, scoring Wensloff, Paxton Nelson (Sr., IF, Spicer, Minn.), and Goelz.
Northern State got two runs back in the seventh. Cody Horon delived a double down the line, scoring Brent Hokenes. The Wolves cut the deficit to 18-3 when Jonah Schmidt doubled, plating Horon. It would not be enough as the Golden Eagles won 18-3.

Minnesota Crookston will wrap up their series with Northern State Monday, April 24 at 1 and 3 p.m.