SAINT GEORGE, Kan. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team split with the University of Sioux Falls Saturday, March 15 at Rock Creek High School in Saint George, Kan. The Golden Eagles took the first game 6-4 guided by the play of Josh Dykhoff (Jr., RHP/DH, Wadena, Minn.), but fell 7-3 in the second contest.
Minnesota Crookston sits at 7-10 (4-3 NSIC) following Saturday's split in the Sunflower State. Sioux Falls is 6-15 (2-5 NSIC) after the split. USF leads the series 3-2 in the last five games in the series.
Game One
The Golden Eagles picked up a 6-4 victory over the Cougars led by a grand slam from Josh Dykhoff (Jr., RHP/DH, Wadena, Minn.) in the top of the third. Dykhoff also picked up the win on the mound. He tossed six innings, allowing three earned runs, on six hits. Dykhoff improved to 4-0, striking out five, and walking one. Dykhoff has led the Golden Eagle pitching staff this season, posting 28 strikeouts, to just two walks in 2025.
Nate Grafsgaard (R-Sr., RHP, Devils Lake, N.D.) earned his third save, tossing a scoreless seventh frame. Grafsgaard struck out one.
Minnesota Crookston posted six hits in the first tilt. Dykhoff was 1-of-4, with four RBI, and a run scored. Kobe Senn (Sr., IF, Fargo, N.D.) went 2-of-2, with a run scored. Americo Sculati (R-Jr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) finished 1-of-2, with a run scored. Dylan Debilzen (Fr., OF, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) finished 1-of-4, with a run scored.
The loss went to Sioux Falls' Brady Baur, who allowed five runs on six hits, in three frames. At the plate, USF looked to Nolan Drossel. Drossel was 3-of-4, with two runs scored at the top of the line-up.
Sioux Falls leapt out to a 3-0 advantage in the bottom of the first. Drossel scored on an error to start the game out 1-0. A Caden Ransom infield single drove in Dominic Vogel, followed by an Isaac Bonner bunt single to plate Mitch Iliff to make it 3-0.
The Golden Eagles went ahead 4-3 in the top of the third with Dykhoff's grand slam as he clobbered the ball over the right field fence, scoring himself, Sculati, Debilzen, and Senn.
Minnesota Crookston widened the gap to 5-3 in top of the fourth when Connor Bushbaum (R-Jr., OF, Saginaw, Minn.) crossed the plate on an Aaron Wensloff (So., IF, Roseau, Minn.) groundout.
In the fifth frame, Drossel scored on a wild pitch to trim the deficit to 5-4.
The Golden Eagles added a safety run in the top of the sixth when Bushbaum scored on a passed ball to push the lead to 6-4.
In the bottom of the seventh, USF's Dominic Vogel reached on an infield single with two outs. However, Grafsgaard preserved the victory as he got Ben Serie to pop out.
Game Two
Minnesota Crookston made a late charge in the second game, but fell 7-3 to Sioux Falls.
Kyle Odenbach (Jr., LHP, Thompson, N.D.) had a great start to his outing, but ran into trouble in the sixth inning. Odenbach allowed five runs, on three hits. He struck out six, and walked two. Isaac Roers (R-Jr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) allowed two runs in 0.2 innings. Jaxson Bennett (R-So., RHP, Saginaw, Minn.) had a strong relief outing, allowing no runs on two hits in two innings. Bennett struck out two.
Logan Anderson got the win for USF, after allowing one run on six hits in six frames. Anderson struck out nine, and walked one.
Minnesota Crookston notched nine hits. Sculati paced the Golden Eagles, going 2-of-4, with two RBI, and a run scored. Aaron Wensloff went 2-of-4, with a run scored. Bushbaum finished 2-of-4, with a run scored, while Senn was 1-of-4, with an RBI.
The Golden Eagles put two on with two outs in the top of the third as Debilzen singled, following a Kodi Miller (Sr., C, Grand Rapids, Minn.) base-knock. Anderson struck out Aaron Wensloff to keep the game knotted 0-0 heading to the bottom of the third.
The Cougars took a 1-0 advantage when Ryan Gouldin scored on a William Edwards groundout, following Gouldin's leadoff triple. Odenbach got a Dominic Vogel groundout to keep the score at 1-0.
Senn opened the top of the fifth with a double to right field, as he looked to tee off a big inning for Minnesota Crookston. Anderson got three-consecutive outs to get out of the stretch.
Sioux Falls added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth with an Iliff double, plating Noah Christenson, and Drossel to push it to a 3-0 advantage. The double chased Odenbach from the tilt. A Jackson Yeager base-hit brought in Iliff, and Serie to extend the lead to 5-0. Isaac Bonner made it 7-0 with a home run, bringing in himself, and Yeager. Roers got back-to-back groundouts to escape further damage.
Minnesota Crookston led off the top of the seventh with a Bushbaum triple, exiting Anderson from the tilt. Bushbaum scored on a Senn groundout, breaking the shutout and trimming the deficit to 7-1.
Aaron Wensloff opened the top of the eighth with a single to right field, as he looked to get the U of M Crookston offense started. Sculati followed it up with his team-high fifth home run of the 2025 season, scoring himself, and Wensloff to trim USF's lead to 7-3.
Sioux Falls was able to shut down Minnesota Crookston down the stretch to preserve the victory.
The Golden Eagles will look to split the series with Cougars as they prepare for Sunday's finale against the Cougars Sunday, March 16 at 12 p.m. C.T., in Saint George, Kan.
