Baseball | 4/26/2025 6:45:00 PM

DULUTH, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team dropped a pair of close games to the University of Minnesota Duluth Saturday, April 26 at Wade Stadium in Duluth, Minn. The Bulldogs edged the Golden Eagles 3-2 in the first game, and 7-6 in the second tilt.

Minnesota Crookston dropped to 20-24 (17-17 NSIC) with the loss, while Minnesota Duluth improved to 21-23 (17-17 NSIC). The two squads are now tied for eighth, the final spot that makes the NSIC Tournament, as we enter the final week of the regular season. The winner of tomorrow's game will have a one-game lead entering the final games of the regular season. The Bulldogs have now won two in a row after losing four-consecutive games in the series entering Saturday. 

Game One
The Bulldogs picked up a 3-2 victory in the first game to edge the Golden Eagles. Minnesota Crookston made a late push in the top of the sixth with a Dylan Debilzen (Fr., OF, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) RBI single, scoring Aaron Wensloff (So., IF/OF, Roseau, Minn.), and Kyler Miller (Fr., IF, Grand Rapids, Minn.). However, the U of M Crookston came up short.

Josh Dykhoff (Jr., RHP, Wadena, Minn.) started and tossed six innings in the loss, allowing three runs on five hits. Dykhoff struck out nine, and had zero walks. He came into the weekend second in the nation for strikeout/walk ratio and now has 68 strikeouts, and just five walks. 

Brayden Buttweiler started and earned the win for UMD. He tossed 6.1 innings, allowing two runs on eight hits. Buttweiler struck out four, and walked four. Dylan Wilson, Connor Nygard, and Zach Kuseke all pitched in relief.

Debilzen paced the Golden Eagles, swinging 2-of-4, for two RBI. Miller was 3-of-4, with a run scored. Sawyer Satrom (Sr., IF, Portland, N.D.), Dykhoff, and Americo Sculati (R-Jr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) all went 1-of-3.

The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the second with a Caden Klebba sacrifice fly, plating Garrett Stauffacher. A Nick Tompson single drove in Kade Peloquin. They continued their scoring streak in the second with a Sam Kliber double, scoring Nick Thompson to make it 3-0. Kliber was thrown out at third to get out of the frame.

The Debilzen single drove in two in the top of the sixth to trim the deficit to 3-2. With one out in the seventh, Sculati doubled, and Kobe Senn (Sr., IF, Fargo, N.D.) singled. However, Minnesota Duluth got out of the game with a 3-2 win.

Game Two

The Bulldogs came back to walkoff a 7-6 victory on a passed ball in game two against the Golden Eagles, after Minnesota Crookston had taken a 6-5 lead in the top of the ninth.

Max Weber (Sr., RHP, St. Paul, Minn.) started and went four innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits. Weber struck out three. Isaac Roers (R-Jr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) came in and pitched 2.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits. Joey Connelly (Jr., LHP, Eden Prairie, Minn.) gave up one run in one inning of relief. Isaac Wensloff (Jr., RHP, Roseau, Minn.) pitched 0.2 innings in relief, while Nate Grafsgaard (R-Sr., RHP, Devils Lake, N.D.) suffered the loss in a blown save opportunity, allowing two runs. 

The Golden Eagles bats looked to Satrom, who was 2-of-4, with an RBI. Sculati was 2-of-4, with an RBI, and a run scored. Dykhoff finished 1-of-5, with two RBI, and a run scored. Miller was 1-of-4, with a run scored, while Debilzen went 1-of-4, with an RBI, and a run scored. 

The win on the bump went to Minnesota Duluth's Zach Kuseke, who pitched 0.2 innings in relief. Henry Wilkinson tossed 8.1 innings in a start, allowing four runs on six hits. 

Minnesota Crookston took a 2-0 advantage in the top of the first when Dykoff doubled in Miller, and Debilzen. The Golden Eagles pushed their lead to 3-0 with a Satrom double, scoring Dykhoff.

In the bottom of the first, Troy Lynch used a sacrifice fly to score Kliber to cut the deficit to 3-1. A Stauffacher single brought in Nathan Rosenberg to cut it to 3-2.

In the bottom of the third, Rosenberg hit a solo shot to tie it 3-3.

The Bulldogs inched ahead in the bottom of the sixth with a Lynch solo home run to take a 4-3 advantage. 

UMD added a security run in the bottom of the eighth with an Ethan Pettis sacrifice fly to score Rosenberg, extending their advantage to 5-3.

Senn walked with one out to give Minnesota Crookston hope in the top of the ninth. A Danny Wensloff walk gave the Golden Eagles the game-tying run on first base. A Sculati single brought in Senn to decrease the deficit to 5-4. A pinch-hit single from Cole Hebl (So., OF/1B, Hillsboro, N.D.) brought in pinch-runner Caden Kappes (So., IF, Wahpeton, N.D.) to knot the score 5-5. Minnesota Crookston took a 6-5 lead with a Debilzen sacrifice fly, plating Sculati.

In the bottom of the ninth with one out, Sam Richardson walked to the game-tying run on first. The Bulldogs tied the game 6-6 with a Rosenberg double to score Thomas Hanson. UMD loaded the bases as Stauffacher was intentionally walked, and Peloquin walked. Rosenberg scored on a passed ball to send the Bulldogs to a 7-6 win. 

Minnesota Crookston and Minnesota Duluth wrap up their series with a pivotal game in the conference standings Sunday, April 27 at 12 p.m., at Wade Stadium in Duluth, Minn.