MANKATO, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team fell 8-5 Sunday, April 21 to Minnesota State University at Bowyer Field in Mankato, Minn. The Mavericks scored eight runs in the bottom of the eighth to overcome a 5-0 deficit and pick up the victory. Minnesota State got to Minnesota Crookston's bullpen after a stand-out start from Brody Sorenson (Sr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D. for the Golden Eagles. 

Sorenson pitched 5.2 innings of a perfect game before giving up two hits in the sixth inning. He allowed no runs, on two hits, and walked one. Sorenson struck out two in six innings. Max Weber (Jr., RHP, St. Paul, Minn.) went one inning, allowing one earned run on two hits. Jacob Mathiason (Jr., RHP, Rockford, Minn.) suffered the loss and went to 0-1 after allowing three unearned runs on two hits. Nate Grafsgaard (Sr., RHP, Devils Lake, N.D.) allowed two unearned runs on one hit.

The win went to Minnesota State's Spencer Wright, who went two innings and allowed no runs on one hit.

Minnesota Crookston dropped to 25-13 (19-9 NSIC) with Sunday's loss. The Mavericks improved to 25-14 (21-8 NSIC). The Golden Eagles were within a half game of Minnesota State, but now fall to 1.5 games back of the Mavericks in second place. Minnesota Crookston did win the series 2-1, and picked up their seventh conference series win of the season. The Golden Eagles are 4-3 in their last seven games against the Mavericks. The Golden Eagles are in fourth place now, and trail St. Cloud State University by just a half game going into Wednesday's series. 

The Golden Eagles notched nine hits. Jake Hjelle (R-Sr., OF/1B, East Grand Forks, Minn.) was 2-of-4, with two RBIs. Danny Wensloff (Sr., OF/C, Roseau, Minn.) went 2-of-5, with a run scored. Kobe Senn (R-So., IF, Fargo, N.D.) was 2-of-4, with a run scored. Sawyer Satrom (R-So., IF, Portland, N.D.) went 2-of-3. Josh Dykhoff (So., RHP/DH, Wadena, Minn.) was 2-of-5, with a run scored. 

The Golden Eagles took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third with a Hjelle single to plate Dykhoff and Headlee.

Minnesota Crookston pushed their advantage to 3-0 in the fourth when Danny Wensloff scored on a wild pitch. The Golden Eagles made it 5-0 when Headlee reached on an error, scoring Senn, and Goodwin.

Ryan Friedges broke up Sorenson's perfect game with two outs in the sixth with a double. Aidan Byrne walked, and Zach Stroh singled to load up the bases with two outs. However, Sorenson got Ryan Wickman to line out to Goodwin to hold on to the 5-0 lead.

The Mavericks opened the bottom of the eighth with Friedges reaching on a hit by pitch, and Byrne getting on with a single. Minnesota State loaded the bags when Stroh was hit by a pitch. Mathiason relieved Weber to try to get the Golden Eagles out of the inning. The Mavericks cut the deficit to 5-1 when Wickman hit a sacrifice fly to score Friedges. Byrne came in to score when Louis Magers reached on an error to bring it to 5-2. A Lincoln Berry double scored Magers, and Stroh to pull the Mavericks within 5-4. Minnesota State knotted the game up 5-5 with an Adam Weed single to plate Berry. Grafsgaard came on and struck out Tanner Thompson, but he reached on a passed ball to keep the inning alive. Friedges made the Golden Eagles pay with a three-run home run, scoring himself, Thompson, and Weed to extend the lead to 8-5. The Golden Eagles got out of the inning with a fly out, but not without a big inning from the Mavericks.

Hjelle reached on a hit by pitch to start the inning, and moved to second on a wild pitch, but the Mavericks were able to get through the inning unscathed to pick up the 8-5 win. 

The Golden Eagles will play St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn., Wednesday, April 24 at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.