Baseball | 4/30/2025 3:47:00 PM
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team earned a split with the University of Mary Tuesday, April 29 in Bismarck, N.D., falling 5-4 in game one but bouncing back for an 8-6 victory in the second tilt.
Minnesota Crookston sits in a tie for sixth place with UMary entering the final three games of the regular season. They currently hold a one game lead on Southwest Minnesota State University, and a two game advantage on the University of Minnesota Duluth. They are two-and-a-half games up on Winona State University. The top eight teams go to the NSIC Tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D. Minnesota Crookston is only three games back of Wayne State College in fourth, and they hold the tiebreaker on the Wildcats. The Golden Eagles are currently 22-25 (19-18 NSIC), while UMary is 23-23 (19-18 NSIC). Minnesota Crookston is 5-1 against the Marauders in their last six meetings.
Game One
The Golden Eagles were edged by the Marauders 5-4 in the first game of the doubleheader. UMary was led by three-consecutive home runs in the sixth by Hank Griffin, Isaac Pegors, and Bryce Leafgren.
Josh Dykhoff (Jr., RHP/DH, Wadena, Minn.) started and pitched 5.1 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. Dykhoff struck out one. Max Weber (Sr., RHP, St. Paul, Minn.) pitched the final 0.2 innings, allowing one run on two hits.
The win for UMary went to Jacob Burgess in relief, who allowed no runs on one hit in 1.1 frames. Konnor Kirchoffner started and tossed 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on three hits. Sam Hayen got the save, allowing one run on one hit.
Dykhoff led Minnesota Crookston at the plate, going 2-of-3, with one run scored. Dylan Debilzen (Fr., OF, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) was 1-of-4, with two RBI and a run scored. Sawyer Satrom (Sr., IF, Portland, N.D.) was 1-of-2, while Caden Kappes (So., IF, Wahpeton, N.D.) went 1-of-2, with a run scored.
The Golden Eagles left nine base-runners on in the first tilt.
UMary broke a scoreless tie in the fourth with a Leafgren sacrifice fly, plating Kalem Haley to make it 1-0.
The Golden Eagles scored three runs in the fifth frame. Debilzen tripled to left center, driving in Kappes, and Kobe Senn (Sr., IF, Fargo, N.D.) to make it 2-1. Dykhoff singled in Debilzen to extend the advantage to 3-1.
The Marauders scored three runs in the sixth. Griffin led off the home run streak, followed by a Pegors home run, and a final home run by Leafgren to extend the lead to 4-3. To cap off the sixth, Cru walked singled in Noah Hull to extend the advantage to 5-3.
Minnesota Crookston got one run back in the top of the seventh when Sculati reached on a fielder's choice driving in Dykhoff. However, the Golden Eagles left two runners on base, as they fell short 5-4.
Game Two
The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team bounced back with an 8-6 victory in the second game of the doubleheader propelled by a four-run fourth frame.
Isaac Wensloff (Jr., RHP, Roseau, Minn.) improved to 4-2 with Tuesday's win on the mound. He threw 5.2 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits. Isaac Wensloff struck out three, and walked two. Caden Edwards (R-Sr., LHP, Duluth, Minn.) tossed a scoreless 0.1 innings. Isaac Roers (R-Jr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.), who leads the team in appearances, threw 1.1 innings allowing one run on three hits. Nate Grafsgaard (R-Sr., RHP, Devils Lake, N.D.) pitched a scoreless 1.2 innings, earning his team-high eighth save. He tied Zach Seipel's mark for fourth all-time in a season.
The loss went to Jack Thompson, allowing four runs on four hits in a stanza.
Sculati paced the U of M Crookston, going 3-of-3, with two RBI, and two runs scored. Aaron Wensloff (So., IF/OF, Roseau, Minn.) was 2-of-4, with two RBI, and a run scored. Debilzen went 2-of-5, with a run scored. Kappes finished 1-of-4, with two RBI, and a run scored.
UMary took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a Hull sacrifice fly to score Griffin.
Minnesota Crookston evened the score 1-1 in the bottom of the first when Aaron Wensloff reached on an error, allowing Debilzen to score.
UMary answered in the bottom of the third. A Haney solo shot to make it 2-1, followed by a Marcus Butts single to bring in Griffin to give the Marauders a 3-1 lead.
Minnesota Crookston came within 3-2 with Sculati's seventh home run of the 2025 slate. The Golden Eagles took the advantage 4-3 with a Kappes single, plating Danny Wensloff, and Connor Bushbaum. Minnesota Crookston extended their advantage to 5-3 on a Dykhoff double down the line, scoring Kappes.
The Golden Eagles extended their lead to 6-3 in the top of the fifth using a Danny Wensloff sacrifice fly to drive in Sculati.
The Marauders answered the ball in the bottom of the fifth with a Pegors single, driving in Griffin to pull within 6-4.
Minnesota Crookston added insurance in the top of the sixth with Aaron Wensloff's sixth home run, followed by a Sculati double down the line to bring in Senn to widen the gap to 8-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, Haney singled in Kieran Gaffney to pull within 8-5. In the bottom of the seventh, UMary continued to slice into the deficit when Pegors hit a solo shot to cut it to 8-6.
The Marauders put together back-to-back singles with one out in the bottom of the eighth off Roers. Grafsgaard got Minnesota Crookston out of danger, securing the final two outs to preserve the 8-6 lead.
UMary got one on in the bottom of the ninth with a walk from Hull, but Grafsgaard was able to pitch out of the jam to pick up the 8-6 victory.
Minnesota Crookston baseball concludes the regular season with a three-game series at home versus Northern State University Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3.
