AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team picked up a Saturday split in a doubleheader against the University of Sioux Falls at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Fla. Sioux Falls edged the Golden Eagles 5-4 in the opening game, while the U of M Crookston picked up a dominant 13-5 win in the second tilt. 

Minnesota Crookston improved to 6-7 (3-4 NSIC) with the split. The Golden Eagles lead the series with a 2-1 mark. Sioux Falls moved to 6-5 (1-2 NSIC) with the split.

Game One 

USF utilized a pair of home runs in the first game Saturday to edge Minnesota Crookston 5-4. The Golden Eagles had an opportunity to come back in the bottom of the seventh, but the Cougars held on for the victory.

Jake Ammann started the game for USF, tossing four innings. He allowed an unearned run on three hits. Ammann had four strikeouts, and four walks. Logan Anderson picked up the win in relief, throwing 0.2 innings, and allowing one run, on one hit. The save went to Garrett Oswald, who pitched two scoreless innings.

Brody Sorenson (Sr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) got the start for Minnesota Crookston and put the Golden Eagles in a position to win, but ultimately suffered the loss. Sorenson went a complete seven innings, allowing five runs on seven hits. Sorenson struck out nine, and walked one. Sorenson has an impressive strikeout to walk ratio this season, with 29 strikeouts to just four walks.

The Golden Eagles finished with six hits in the first game. Caden Headlee (R-Jr., OF, Fargo, N.D.) went 2-of-4, with one run scored. Jake Hjelle (R-Sr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) went 1-of-3, with a run scored. Teddy Giefer (Sr., 1B, Cortland, Minn.) was 1-of-1, with an RBI, and a run scored. Ben Goelz (R-Sr., OF, Maple Lake, Minn.) was 1-of-4, with two RBIs.

Minnesota Crookston broke a scoreless 0-0 tie in the bottom of the fourth when a Sawyer Satrom (R-So., IF, Portland, N.D.) sacrifice fly scored Giefer. 

Sioux Falls took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth when Tyler Cate blasted a two-run home run, scoring himself, and Mitch Iliff.

The Golden Eagles took the advantage back in the bottom of the fifth with three runs. They tied the game when Giefer was walked with the bases loaded, scoring Josh Dykhoff (So., RHP/DH, Wadena, Minn.). Minnesota Crookston took a 4-2 lead with an RBI single from Goelz, scoring Hjelle, and Headlee.

USF took a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth with an Iliff three-run home run, plating himself, Dane Small, and David Swanson.

The Golden Eagles had one final chance in the bottom of the seventh with Headlee reaching on a single, and Giefer walking. However, Oswald struck out Goelz to preserve the 5-4 win.

Game Two

Minnesota Crookston's bats ignited in the second game, as they defeated the Cougars 13-5 in a nine-inning tilt. The Golden Eagles were lifted by a three-run blast from Kodi Miller (Jr., C, Grand Rapids, Minn.), his second of the season.

Nate Benning (Fr., LHP, Browerville, Minn.) picked up his second win of the season, tossing five innings. He allowed two runs on four hits. Benning struck out five, and walked four. Isaac Roers (R-So., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) threw 0.2 innings, allowing one run, on two walks. Isaac Wensloff (So., RHP, Roseau, Minn.) got one out. Jacob Mathiason (Jr., RHP, Rockford, Minn.) pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Owen Swanson (R-Fr., RHP, Santa Clara, Calif.) allowed two runs in 0.2 innings of work. Caden Edwards (Jr., LHP, Duluth, Minn.) was the last of six pitchers for the Golden Eagles, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings.

Minnesota Crookston had 12 hits in the second tilt. Danny Wensloff (Sr., OF, Roseau, Minn.) paced the Golden Eagles, going 2-of-5, with two RBIs, and a run scored. Headlee was 2-of-5, with a run scored. Miller was 1-of-5, with three RBIs, and a run scored. Satrom finished 2-of-4, with one RBI, and two runs scored.

The loss for USF went to Dylan Immel, who allowed eight runs on seven hits, and five walks in 1.2 innings of work.

Sioux Falls jumped out to a 1-0 lead with a solo shot from Small in the top of the first. The Golden Eagles quickly bounced back in the bottom of the first. Giefer singled to plate Danny Wensloff to tie the game 1-1. Hjelle would score on an error after a fielder's choice to move the score to 2-1. Satrom rounded out the inning with an RBI single, plating Giefer.

USF pulled within 3-2 with a solo blast from Swanson in the top of the second. The Golden Eagles fired back in the bottom of the second. A Hjelle double brought in Headlee to push the advantage to 4-2. Miller then launched a home run to score himself, Giefer, and Hjelle to extend the lead to 7-2. Minnesota Crookston rounded out the inning when Wensloff walked with the bases loaded, scoring Satrom.

The Golden Eagles widened the gap to 9-2 when Wensloff singled, bringing in Mitch Goodwin (R-Sr., SS, Prior Lake, Minn.). Minnesota Crookston extended the lead to 10-2 with a Dykhoff single, scoring Caden Kappes (Fr., IF, Wahpeton, N.D.) in the fourth.

The Cougars trimmed the deficit to 10-3 with an Isaac Bonner sacrifice fly, scoring Ben Serie. 

USF cut the deficit to 10-5 in the eighth with a Cate single, plating Bonner, and Iliff.

The Golden Eagles pushed their lead to 11-5 in the eighth with a Cole Hebl (Fr., IF, Hillsboro, N.D.) pinch-hit single, scoring Satrom. Minnesota Crookston pushed the lead to 12-5 when Goodwin scored on a wild pitch. Hebl scored on a wild pitch to make it 13-5.

USF loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, but Edwards got a strikeout to end the game.

Minnesota Crookston will complete the series Sunday, March 10 at 7 p.m., against the Cougars.