DULUTH, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team earned the split Tuesday, May 2 against the University of Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs earned the extra-inning walk-off victory 10-8 in the first game. UMN Crookston bounced back with a Mitch Goodwin (Jr., SS, Prior Lake, Minn.) two RBI single in the top of the seventh to deliver a 6-4 victory in the second tilt.

Minnesota Crookston improved to 33-18 (23-10 NSIC) with the split. The Golden Eagles are in fourth place in the NSIC standings at the time of publishing. If the Golden Eagles win their final three games, as long as Minnesota State University loses two of their last four games and St. Cloud State University loses one of their last four games. Minnesota Duluth improved to 18-26 (11-20 NSIC) with the split. Minnesota Crookston will remain above Southwest Minnesota State University as long as the Mustangs lose one of their last four games which includes the regular-season ending series with the Golden Eagles.

Minnesota Crookston Head Coach Steve Gust picked up his 200th victory as the Golden Eagle head man. He becomes only the second UMN Crookston coach in any sport to reach 200 or more wins, joining former men's basketball coach Gary Senske.

Game One 
Minnesota Duluth's Jack Puder hit a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th to send the Bulldogs to a 10-8 victory in the bottom of the 10th in the first game. 

Matt Nelson (R-Sr., RHP, Afton, Minn.) started the game and went four innings, allowing six runs on eight hits. He struck out four. Conner Richardson (R-Sr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) pitched two, allowing one earned run on four hits. Jakob Wiirre (Sr., RHP, Mims, Fla.) put forth one of his best outings of the season, tossing three shutout innings. Jackson Schneider (R-Sr., RHP, Forest Lake, Minn.) suffered the loss in relief, allowing two runs on two hits in 0.1 innings.

The win for UMD went to Henry Wilkinson, who allowed no runs in 0.1 innings of work.

The Golden Eagles scored eight runs on 11 hits in the loss. Josh Dykhoff (Fr., RHP/1B, Wadena, Minn.) went 3-of-5, with two RBIs and a run scored. Jake Hjelle (R-Jr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) was 2-of-5, with three RBIs and a run scored. Matt Nunn (Sr., C, Edina, Minn.) went 2-of-4, with two RBIs.

The Golden Eagles took the 2-0 advantage in the first with Hjelle's NSIC-leading 18th home run, driving in Josh Dykhoff. 

The Bulldogs trimmed the deficit to 2-1 in the first with a Gabe Richardson sacrifice fly to plate Tim Pokornowski.

Minnesota Crookston got the run back in the fourth with a Goodwin single, scoring Teddy Giefer (Jr., 1B, Courtland, Minn.). The Golden Eagles pushed the lead to 5-1 with a two RBI double from Nunn, bringing in Goodwin, and Sawyer Satrom (R-Fr., IF, Portland, N.D.).

UMD trimmed the lead to 5-3 in the fourth with RBIs from Alex Wattermann and Ethan Cole.

Minnesota Crookston pushed the lead back to 6-3 with a Hjelle RBI single to plate Mike Hallquist (Jr., 3B, Fargo, N.D.). 

Minnesota Duluth overtook the lead 7-6 in the fifth lifted by a two RBI home run from Puder.

The Golden Eagles took the advantage back 8-7 with a Josh Dykhoff two RBI double, scoring Goodwin, and Danny Wensloff (Jr., OF/C, Roseau, Minn.).

The Bulldogs knotted the score 8-8 in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI groundout from Richardson, scoring Pokornowski.

The score remained 8-8 going into extra innings until Puder hit another clutch two-run shot to give UMD a walk-off 10-8 win.

Game Two
Goodwin came through for the third time this season with the game-winning RBI as he used a two RBI single in the top of the seventh to send the Golden Eagles to a 6-4 victory.

Josh Dykhoff picked up his third victory of the season, throwing six innings and allowing just four runs on six hits. He struck out four and walked two. Brody Sorenson (Jr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) picked up his first save of the season, allowing no runs on one hit in the seventh.

The loss for UMD went to Cole, who allowed two runs in 1.2 innings.

Minnesota Crookston picked up six runs on 13 hits. Caden Headlee (Jr., OF, Fargo, N.D.) went 3-of-3, with two runs scored. Hallquist finished 2-of-4. Hjelle went 2-of-4, with an RBI and a run scored. Goodwin was 3-of-4, with two RBIs.

The Golden Eagles took the 1-0 advantage in the first when Hjelle hit an RBI double, plating Danny Wensloff.

Minnesota Duluth took the 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first. Tosten Mann used a sacrifice fly to plate Pokornowski, while Puder scored on a fielder's choice from Sam Tanner.

The Golden Eagles tied the game 2-2 in the third with Josh Dykhoff's 13th home run of the season. Minnesota Crookston took the 3-2 advantage later in the inning on a Zeke Hass (Sr., OF, Eaton, Colo.) sacrifice fly, scoring Hjelle.

Minnesota Crookston took the 4-2 lead in the fifth when Giefer singled, driving in Headlee.

UMD tied the game up in the fifth. Puder hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Henry Bushey. A Richardson sacrifice fly knotted the game at 4-4, scoring Pokornowski.

The Golden Eagles took the game in the top of the seventh when Goodwin utilized a two RBI single, scoring Satrom and Headlee.

Minnesota Crookston wraps up the season Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6 against Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn.