CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team picked up a split Saturday, April 13 against Southwest Minnesota State University in their home openers at the Minnesota Crookston Baseball Field. The Golden Eagles dominated the Mustangs 8-0 in the first game, but fell 12-2 in the doubleheader.
Minnesota Crookston moved to 20-12 (14-8 NSIC) with the split Saturday. Southwest Minnesota State moved to 19-13 (13-10 NSIC) with the split. The Golden Eagles are in fifth place in the NSIC standings, while the Mustangs are in sixth place. Minnesota Crookston is 4-1 in their last five games with the Mustangs.
Game One
Jake Osowski (R-Sr., RHP, East Grand Forks, Minn.) pitched a complete game shutout in the first game, leading the Golden Eagles past Southwest Minnesota State 8-0. Osowski improved to an unblemished 6-0 with Saturday's win. Osowski has the all-time wins mark with a 22-2 record in his career. He moved past Jake Dykhoff for career innings pitched. He needs two more starts to set the record for games started in Golden Eagle history.
Osowski went seven innings, allowing no runs on seven hits. Osowski struck out eight, and walked one.
Kolby Kiser fell in the loss, allowing six earned runs on 11 hits in five innings. Kiser struck out eight, and walked one. Jerod Cyrus pitched one scoreless inning.
The Golden Eagles had 11 hits in the first game. Jake Hjelle (R-Sr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) went 2-of-3, with one run scored. Teddy Giefer (Sr., 1B, Courtland, Minn.) went 1-of-3, with two runs scored. Kodi Miller (Jr., C, Grand Rapids, Minn.) was 2-of-3, with three RBIs, and three runs scored. Mitch Goodwin (R-Sr., SS, Prior Lake, Minn.) finished 1-of-3, with an RBI, and a run scored.
Osowski got out of trouble in the first inning after Minnesota Crookston allowed two on, with one out.
The Golden Eagles took the lead 1-0 in the bottom of the second when Danny Wensloff (Sr., OF/C, Roseau, Minn.) singled in Miller.
The game stayed at 1-0 until Minnesota Crookston scored three in the bottom of the fourth. A Miller double plated Giefer to extend the lead to 2-0. Later in the frame, Goodwin doubled to right center, bringing in Miller. Goodwin came around to score when Kobe Senn (R-So., IF, Fargo, N.D.) reached on an error.
Miller continued his big game with a two RBI double, scoring Hjelle and Headlee to extend the lead to 6-0. Wensloff followed it up with a two RBI single, bringing in Miller, and Giefer to make it 8-0.
Osowski preserved the 8-0 win for the Golden Eagles down the stretch, as they picked up their 20th win for the seventh time in 10 seasons.
Game Two
The Mustangs responded in game two by picking up a 12-2 run-rule victory over the Golden Eagles.
Josh Dykhoff (So., RHP/DH, Wadena, Minn.) started and fell to 1-2 after allowing four runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings. Dykhoff struck out four, and walked three. Jacob Mathiason (Jr., RHP, Rockford, Minn.) allowed three runs on three hits in 0.1 innings. Isaac Roers (R-So., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) pitched 2.2 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits. He struck out three. Joey Connelly (R-So., LHP, Eden Prairie, Minn.) allowed two unearned runs, while Max Weber (Jr., RHP, St. Paul, Minn.) had one hit allowed, and one strikeout.
The win went to Carter Petron, who improved to 5-1 after pitching a complete game. Petron allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out 11, and walked two.
The Golden Eagles finished with five hits in game two. Sawyer Satrom (R-So., IF, Portland, N.D.) was 3-of-4, with an RBI. Senn was 1-of-2. Dykhoff finished 1-of-4.
Chase McDaniel led off the game with a home run to give Southwest Minnesota State a jump start and 1-0 advantage. The Mustangs had further opportunities in the top of the first, but stranded three runners.
Minnesota Crookston led off the bottom of the first with two singles, but the next three batters were retired as they stranded two on the pond.
The Golden Eagles tied the game 1-1 with a Satrom single to plate Wensloff. They took the lead 2-1 when Caden Headlee (R-Jr., OF, Fargo, N.D.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Goodwin. They left the bases loaded though, but held the lead coming out of the frame.
Southwest Minnesota State countered in the top of the fourth. Peyton Nash scored on a wild pitch to knot the game 2-2. A McDaniel sacrifice fly plated Tauer to make it 3-2. An Owen Latendresse double extended the Mustang lead to 4-2, plating Isaac Nett. The Mustangs chased Dykhoff from the game. Mathiason got the final out of the frame to get the Golden Eagles out of the conundrum.
A Keenan Wenzel two-run home run, scored himself, and Max Kalenberg to push the lead to 6-2 in the top of the fifth. Nash scored on a Tauer groundout to extend the lead to 7-2.
In the top of the sixth, Kalenberg singled to plate Jaxon Haase to make it 8-2.
The Mustangs added four runs in the top of the seventh. A Nett three-run home run, scored himself, McDaniel, Tauer to push the lead to 11-2. Haase singled to plate Latendresse to widen the gap to 12-2. Minnesota Crookston was unable to score in the bottom of the seventh, as the Mustangs hung on for the run-rule win.
The Golden Eagles and Mustangs will play a decisive nine-inning game Sunday, April 14 at 12 p.m., at the Minnesota Crookston Baseball Field.
