SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team fell in two highly-contested games Friday, March 28 at the Sanford Sports Complex Ballfields in Sioux Falls, S.D. Concordia University-St. Paul edged the Golden Eagles 4-3 in the first tilt, and won the second game in extra innings 5-4.
Minnesota Crookston and Concordia-St. Paul split the four-game series 2-2. The Golden Eagles and Golden Bears are in a five-way tie for sixth in the NSIC standings. The standings are currently very tight as 11 teams are within four games of each other. Minnesota Crookston is 11-4 in the last 15 games against the Golden Bears. The two teams have not played at either of the two institutions' fields since 2021 when they played in Crookston. The last four series have been played in Sioux Falls, S.D., Beatrice, Neb., Omaha, Neb., and Sioux City, Iowa. They have not played on the Concordia-St. Paul campus since 2014.
Minnesota Crookston currently sits at 11-15 (8-8 NSIC), while Concordia-St. Paul is 12-14 (8-8 NSIC).
Game One
The Golden Bears were propelled by the pitching of Ian Segna, who allowed three runs and struck out nine in his six innings on the hill. Jack Greenlun picked up his second save of the season, and first of the day, in the 4-3 victory.
Kyle Odenbach (Jr., LHP, Thompson, N.D.) tossed 5.1 innings, allowing just one earned run on two hits. He struck out three, and walked three. Max Weber (R-Sr., RHP, St. Paul, Minn.) allowed just an unearned run in 0.2 innings, while Jaxson Bennett (R-So., RHP, Saginaw, Minn.) tossed a scoreless inning.
Minnesota Crookston finished with seven hits in the first game. Dylan Debilzen (Fr., OF, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) went 1-of-3, with an RBI, and a run scored. Americo Sculati (R-Jr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) finished 1-of-3, with an RBI. Kyler Miller (Fr., IF, Grand Rapids, Minn.) was 1-of-2, with a run scored.
Concordia-St. Paul took an early lead in the top of the second when Trett Joles scored on a Charlie Harms groundout.
The Golden Eagles knotted the game in the bottom of the third. Debilzen singled in Miller to make it 1-1.
The Golden Bears took the lead back 2-1 in the fifth when Kaden Johnson scored on a throwing error by the catcher.
In the sixth, Concordia-St. Paul widened the gap to 4-1. Will Husemann singled in Joles, and Berg for the Golden Bears.
Minnesota Crookston came within one run in the bottom of the sixth. Jaiden Smith (R-Fr., IF, Aberdeen, S.D.) came around on a ground out into a double play to cut it to 4-2. A Sculati double plated Debilzen to trim it to 4-3.
The Golden Eagles put two runners on in the bottom of the seventh with a single from Danny Wensloff (R-Sr., OF/C, Roseau, Minn.), and a walk to Connor Bushbaum (R-Jr., OF, Saginaw, Minn.). However, Greenlun pitched out of the jam to get the save and preserve a 4-3 win.
Game Two
The Golden Bears earned a 5-4 extra-inning victory led by a Bennett McCollow RBI single, which drove in Kal Brohmer, who slipped in under a Danny Wensloff tag at the plate.
The Concordia-St. Paul pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts in the win, making it 20 in the two games. Fritz Meyer started and went 4.1 innings, allowing no runs on three hits. He struck out nine, and walked four. Reece Piontek allowed three unearned runs in 1.1 innings of relief. Christian Lindow picked up the victory in relief, giving up one run in 3.1 innings. Greenlun picked up his third save of the year, and second of the day, tossing one stanza.
Isaac Wensloff (Jr., RHP, Roseau, Minn.) started and threw five innings. He allowed four runs on five hits. We walked four in the game. Caden Edwards (R-Sr., LHP, Duluth, Minn.) put up one of his best relief outings of the season to keep the Golden Eagles in contention. Edwards went three scoreless innings, striking out two, and walking two. Isaac Roers (R-Jr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) suffered the loss after allowing one run on two hits in two innings. He struck out four.
The Golden Eagles finished with six hits. Sculati was 2-of-5, with an RBI. Debilzen was 1-of-4, with an RBI. Sawyer Satrom (Sr., IF, Portland, N.D.) went 1-of-4, with a run scored. Bushbaum went 1-of-3, with a run scored. Brock Larsen (R-Jr., C/1B, Blaine, Minn.) went 1-of-4, with an RBI, and a run scored.
Concordia-St. Paul broke the scoreless tie in the top of the second. A Harms single plated Joles to make it 1-0. They extended their lead to 2-0 when Kaden Johnson singled in Berg. A Brohmer sacrifice fly scored Harms to widen the gap to 3-0.
The Golden Bears pushed their advantage to 4-0 in the fifth with a Noah Juliar single, plating Koby McBroome.
Minnesota Crookston made a dent in the bottom of the sixth. A Larsen single to right field, drove in Aaron Wensloff to cut it to 4-1. Bushbaum came in on a Kyler Miller sacrifice fly to trim the deficit to 4-2. A Debilzen single brought in Larsen to cut the Golden Bear lead to one (4-3).
The score remained at 4-3 until the bottom of the ninth. Minnesota Crookston forced extra innings with a Sculati single, plating Satrom to make it 4-4.
In the top of the 10th, McCollow drove it through the right side. Bushbaum made a great throw to the plate, but Brohmer slid under the tag to take a 5-4 lead.
Minnesota Crookston had one last chance in the bottom of the 10th. Bushbaum reached on an error to put the tying run on base. In a clutch pinch-hit at-bat, Jonah Norman (R-So., C, Winnipeg, Manitoba) drew a walk to give the Golden Eagles a pair of base-runners. However, Greenlun secured the final out to preserve a 5-4 victory.
Minnesota Crookston is slated to return home to host Winona State University beginning Friday, April 4.
