WINONA, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston picked up a split with Winona State University after a whirlwind day of baseball in The Island City of Winona, Minn. The Golden Eagles picked up a 5-1 win in the first game, but suffered an 11-10 loss in 12 innings in game two.

Minnesota Crookston improved to 17-11 (11-7 NSIC). The Golden Eagles picked up the series win 3-1. Winona State moved to 13-17 (10-10 NSIC) with the split. Minnesota Crookston is in fifth place in the NSIC standings. The Warriors are eighth in the standings. The Golden Eagles are 11-3 in their last 14 games. 

Game One
Brody Sorenson (Sr., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) continued his excellent senior season moving to 5-1 following a 4-2 victory for Minnesota Crookston in the first game.

Sorenson tossed a complete game over seven innings, with two runs on five hits. Sorenson struck out seven, and walked just one. Sorenson improved to just 52 strikeouts, and just eight walks on the season with a 3.66 ERA. 

Pierce Gritzmaker, the reigning NSIC Pitcher of the Week, went five innings. He allowed two earned runs on seven hits. Gritzmaker struck out three. Mason Bertrand pitched two scoreless innings.

The Golden Eagles notched 10 hits. Josh Dykhoff (So. RHP/DH, Wadena, Minn.) went 2-of-4, with an RBI, and a run scored. Teddy Giefer (Sr., 1B, Courtland, Minn.) was 2-of-4, with an RBI. Kobe Senn (R-So., IF, Fargo, N.D.) was 2-of-3, with an RBI. Caden Headlee (R-Jr., OF, Fargo, N.D.) was 1-of-3, with a run scored.

Minnesota Crookston took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a Giefer RBI single to right center, plating Headlee.

Winona State tied the Golden Eagles 1-1 in the first with Connor Weed scoring on an Alex Berreth groundout into a double play.

The Golden Eagles added two runs in the fourth. Mitch Goodwin (R-Sr., SS, Prior Lake, Minn.) reached on an error by the right fielder, driving in Danny Wensloff (Sr., OF, Roseau, Minn.). Senn then delivered a single, plating Goodwin to widen the gap to 3-1.

Mason Trocke countered with a home run in the fourth to trim the deficit to 3-2.

The Golden Eagles padded the lead in the fifth with a solo shot from Dykhoff, his sixth of the season. Minnesota Crookston was able to preserve the 4-2 win with Sorenson's pitching.

Game Two

The Warriors picked up a walk-off 11-10 win in the 12th inning in a hard-fought game. Winona State scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh to help catapult them to the victory.

Dykhoff started the game and went 6.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits. He struck out five and walked two. Jacob Mathiason (Jr., RHP, Rockford, Minn.) allowed one earned run on two hits. Isaac Roers (R-So., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) allowed no runs on two hits in 0.2 innings. Max Weber (R-So., RHP, St. Paul, Minn.) allowed one unearned run in relief. Caden Edwards (Jr., RHP, Duluth, Minn.) pitched two scoreless innings. Carsen Barta (Fr., RHP, Fargo, N.D.) allowed two runs on two hits in 2.1 innings. Aaron Bennett (R-Fr., RHP, Saginaw, Minn.) suffered the loss allowing no runs on two hits. 

Winona State used nine pitchers. The win went to Sawyer Hoffman.

Minnesota Crookston took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a Hjelle single, driving in Dykhoff. 

The Golden Eagles pushed the advantage to 2-0 in the second with a Satrom single, bringing Goodwin in to score. A Dykhoff single scored Senn later in the frame to make it 3-0.

Minnesota Crookston extended their lead to 4-0 in the top of the fifth with a Danny Wensloff groundout to bring in Hjelle. A Goodwin single drove in Angelo Pacyga (R-So., OF, Sunfish Lake, Minn.) to push the advantage to 5-0. 

The Warriors pulled within 5-1 in the bottom of the fifth when Max Pederson singled in Joshua Hawksford. Dykhoff was able to pitch out of any further danger in the frame.

Minnesota Crookston extended their lead to 7-1 in the top of the sixth when Giefer reached on an error, plating Hjelle, and Satrom. 

Winona State trimmed the deficit to 7-2 in the bottom of the sixth with a Cole Fuecker single. Jack Funke came in on an error at first base.

The Golden Eagles countered with a run in the top of the seventh when Headlee walked with the bases juiced, scoring Wensloff to make it 8-2. 

The Warriors cut the Golden Eagle lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the seventh when Weed singled to left center, plating Ben Hefel. Winona State continued the rally when Funke tripled, driving in Weed, and Austin Beyer to pull within 8-5. Mathiason came on in relief to try to get Minnesota Crookston out of the inning. Fuecker continued the rally with a single to plate Funke to cut the Warrior lead to 8-6. Fuecker scored on a wild pitch to pull Winona State within one. A Mason Trocke single scored Hawksford to knot the game 8-8.

Winona State took a 9-8 lead in the eighth when Fuecker reached on an error to drive in Weed.

Minnesota Crookston forced extra innings in the ninth when Headlee reached on an error to score Sawyer Satrom (R-So., IF, Portland, N.D.), tying the tilt 9-9.

The score remained tied well into extra innings until the Golden Eagles broke the tie in the top of the 12th. A Danny Wensloff sacrifice fly brought in Cole Hebl (Fr., OF/1B, Hillsboro, N.D.) to give Minnesota Crookston a 10-9 lead. Winona State responded in the bottom of the 12th when Fuecker singled to left field, plating Weed. The Warriors picked up the walk-off win over the Golden Eagles with a Josh Gullickson bunt single to plate Nathan Osborne.

Minnesota Crookston will play their first mid-week NSIC series Wednesday, April 10 at Minot State University.