BEATRICE, Neb. - The University of MInnesota Crookston baseball team picked up a sweep Friday, March 22 with a pair of victories in an offensive showcase against Concordia University, St. Paul. The Golden Eagles combined for 33 hits in the two games, and 30 runs. Minnesota Crookston won the first game 12-3, and took the second game, a slugfest, 18-13.

The Golden Eagles improved to 11-9 (5-5 NSIC) with the victories. Concordia-St. Paul dropped to 12-7 (4-6 NSIC). Minnesota Crookston has won five-straight games in the series. The game was played at Christenson Field in Beatrice, Neb. It was relocated due to severe weather forecasted in the Twin Cities. It is their second-straight NSIC series played in Nebraska, as they played last season's NSIC series in Omaha, Neb.

Game One

The Golden Eagles picked up a 12-3 win in the first game of the series against the Golden Bears. 

Jake Osowski (R-Sr., RHP, East Grand Forks, Minn.) moved to 4-0 with the win for the Golden Eagles. Osowski pitched six innings, allowing just one run on four hits. Osowski struck out nine, and walked just two. Jacob Mathiason (Jr., RHP, Rockford, Minn.) pitched in relief, throwing one inning. Mathiason allowed two runs on three hits. He struck out three.

The loss went to Korey Dahlberg, who started and tossed four innings. He allowed seven runs on 11 hits. Dahlberg struck out six, and walked two. Logan Shaffer pitched three innings in relief, allowing five runs.

The Golden Eagles notched 17 hits in the win. Danny Wensloff (Sr., OF/C, Roseau, Minn.) went 3-of-4, with three RBIs, and a run scored. Caden Headlee (R-Jr., OF, Fargo, N.D.) finished 2-of-4, with four RBIs, and a run scored. Sawyer Satrom (R-So., IF, Portland, N.D.) went 3-of-4, with two RBIs, and two runs scored. Josh Dykhoff (So., RHP/DH, Wadena, Minn.) finished 2-of-4, with one RBI, and two runs scored. Jake Hjelle (R-Sr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) was 2-of-4, one RBI, and three runs scored.

The Golden Eagles put together a scoring threat in each of the first two innings. In the first frame, Minnesota Crookston opened the set with a single from Satrom, and Dykhoff reaching on an error. However, Dahlberg secured three outs to stave off the Golden Eagles. In the second frame, Kodi Miller (Jr., C, Grand Rapids, Minn.) singled and Mitch Goodwin (R-Sr., SS, Prior Lake, Minn.) walked with two outs, but Dahlberg got Senn to ground into a double play to keep the score knotted 0-0.

The Golden Bears had two base runners reach in the bottom of the second, but were unable to get on the scoreboard. 

Minnesota Crookston broke through in the third inning as Giefer doubled, driving in Dykhoff to put the Golden Eagles ahead 1-0. Minnesota Crookston added to their lead with a big inning in the fourth. Danny Wensloff led off the inning with a solo home run, his second of the season. Satrom doubled, plating Miller. In the next at-bat, Dykhoff doubled to right field, bringing in Satrom to extend the lead to 4-0. Minnesota Crookston rounded out the scoring with a Headlee single, driving in Dykhoff to make it 5-0. 

The Golden Eagles pushed their advantage to 7-0 in the top of the fifth. Danny Wensloff doubled, scoring Hjelle to make it 6-0, followed by a Satrom single to bring in Miller. 

Wensloff picked up his third RBI of the day with a single up the middle, scoring Hjelle to push the advantage to 8-0 in the top of the sixth. 

Concordia-St. Paul got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth with a Nick Thimsen double down the right field line, scoring Wyatt Husemann to cut the deficit to 8-1. 

The Golden Eagles got the runs back in the top of the seventh. Headlee knocked his second home run of the season, scoring himself, Satrom, and Senn and extending the advantage to 11-1. Hjelle followed suit with his third home run of the season to make it 12-1.

The Golden Bears attempted to make a last-ditch effort in the bottom of the seventh. A Husemann single drove in Landon Behringer to trim the deficit to 12-2. Concordia-St. Paul pulled within 12-3 with a Chris Jacobs single, driving in Lamine Diaby-Gassama. Mathiason struck out the final two batters to end the game and preserve a 12-3 victory.

Game Two

Minnesota Crookston and Concordia-St. Paul competed in a slugfest in the second game, with the Golden Eagles winning 18-13. The two teams combined for 13 home runs in the tilt. The NCAA Division II record is 18 set in a game in 2009 between Colorado State University-Pueblo and Colorado Christian. 

Dykhoff started the second game for the Golden Eagles. He went 3.2 innings on the bump, allowing seven runs on six hits. He struck out three, and walked two. Isaac Wensloff (So., RHP, Roseau, Minn.) went 2.1 innings, allowing three runs on five hits. He struck out three. Isaac Roers (R-So., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) picked up the win, tossing two innings, and allowing. Nate Grafsgaard (Sr., RHP, Devils Lake, N.D.) continued his streak of shutout pitching by pitching a shutout inning, striking out the side.

Gavin Rusch started for the Golden Bears and allowed five runs in 4.1 innings. Eric Lundell suffered the loss, allowing three earned runs on six hits.

Minnesota Crookston was propelled by Goodwin, who went 3-of-4, with seven RBIs and three runs scored. Giefer finished 4-of-5, with five RBIs, and two runs scored. Dykhoff was 3-of-4, with two runs scored. Satrom went 3-of-5, with one RBI and two runs scored.

Concordia-St. Paul jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a Nick Thimsen home run in the bottom of the first. 

Minnesota Crookston responded with four runs in the top of the second stanza. The scoring opened with a solo shot from Giefer, his fourth of the season. Senn followed suit with his first home run of his career, driving in himself and Goodwin to push the lead to 3-1. Satrom made it three home runs in the inning, launching his first of his career to widen the gap to 4-1.

The Golden Bears loaded the bases in the bottom of the second, but Dykhoff was able to secure the final out to keep the game at 4-1.

Concordia-St. Paul pulled within 4-3 in the third with a Thimsen home run, plating himself, and Bennett McCollow. Husemann followed it up with a home run of his own to knot the game 4-4. Dykhoff got Mason Nadolney to ground into a double play to keep the score 4-4. 

Thimsen hit his third home run of the game, plating McCollow, and Justin McGuigan to give Concordia-St. Paul a 7-4 lead. Isaac Wensloff (So., RHP, Roseau, Minn.) came on and got the final out of the bottom of the fourth inning.

Minnesota Crookston looked to make a dent in the Golden Bear lead in the top of the fifth. They trimmed the deficit to 7-5 when Giefer laced a single through the right side, plating Dykhoff. With the bases loaded, Miller was walked plating Hjelle to bring the Golden Eagles within 7-6. The Golden Eagles tied the game 7-7 when Giefer scored on a Goodwin foul out to right field. Sherman secured the final out to keep the game 7-7.

Concordia-St. Paul took the lead back 8-7 in the bottom of the fifth with a Nadolney home run. The home run was the fifth of the game for the Golden Bears, and the eighth overall for both teams. Isaac Wensloff got the Golden Eagles out of the stanza just trailing by one run.

Minnesota Crookston opened the top of the sixth with Dykhoff and Satrom each reaching on walks. Sherman secured two outs, but Giefer came through as he has throughout the season. He hit a two RBI single, plating Hjelle, and Dykhoff to tilt the lead in Minnesota Crookston's favor 9-8. Sherman got the final out of the stanza, but not without the Golden Eagles taking the lead.

Concordia-St. Paul countered in the bottom of the sixth. McCollow hit the ninth home run of the game to tie the game 9-9. Thimsen followed it up with his fourth home run of the game, and the 10th between both teams, to put the Golden Bears ahead 10-9. Isaac Wensloff pitched out of any further damage but not without Concordia-St. Paul overtaking Minnesota Crookston.

The Golden Eagles came right back as Goodwin launched a home run, the 11th of the game, tying the game 10-10. With runners on first and second, Headlee singled to drive in Satrom to take the advantage 11-10. Lundell got the final out to get out of the frame.

Concordia-St. Paul continued the back-and-forth nature of the game, as McGuigan doubled in Bryce Nelson to tie the game 11-11 in the bottom of the seventh. Roers retired Thimsen, for his first out and first time not hitting a home run in the tilt. 

Minnesota Crookston took the lead right back in the bottom of the eighth with Goodwin's second home run of the game, and the 12th combined for both teams, as he drove in himself, and Danny Wensloff to put the Golden Eagles ahead 13-11.

The Golden Bears came right back as Nadolney hit the 13th home run of the game, driving in himself, and Noah Juliar to knot it 13-13 in the bottom of the eighth. Roers got the final out, but not without the game being tied once again.

Minnesota Crookston put two runners on in the top of the ninth with a Dykhoff single, and a walk to Headlee. The Golden Eagles loaded up the bags with Hjelle being hit by a pitch. Giefer got his fifth RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly to score pinch-runner Caden Kappes (Fr., IF, Wahpeton, N.D.) to put Minnesota Crookston ahead 14-13. The Golden Eagles pushed their lead to 15-13 when Miller reached on an error, bringing in Headlee. Goodwin broke open the game with a triple to right field, plating Miller, Hjelle, and Danny Wensloff to extend the lead to 18-13.

Grafsgaard struck out the side to preserve the 18-13 win. Minnesota Crookston will wrap up their series with Concordia-St. Paul Saturday, March 23 at 11 a.m., and 1 p.m., in Beatrice, Neb.