CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team split their third-straight series as they fell 8-6 in game one to Winona State University, and picked up a 10-3 win Sunday, April 6 at the Minnesota Crookston Baseball Field.

The Golden Eagles sit at 13-17 (10-10 NSIC) after the split. Winona State moved to 15-13 (11-8 NSIC) with Sunday's split. Minnesota Crookston is 6-3 in their last nine tilts.

Game One

The Warriors were lifted by a four-run fourth inning to pick up the 8-6 victory in the first game. Minnesota Crookston left 10 runners on base in the loss, and struck out eight times.

Kyle Odenbach (Jr., LHP, Thompson, N.D.) started the game and tossed 3.1 innings, allowing six runs on seven hits. Odenbach struck out one. Isaac Roers (R-Jr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) had a quality outing in relief. He pitched 3.2 innings, allowing two unearned runs on five hits. Roers struck out six, walking just one.

Wesley Johnson started for Winona State, giving up two earned runs on six hits in 3.2 innings. Max Strecker picked up the win in relief, allowing no runs in 0.1 innings. Cole Stanchina picked up the save, allowing one run on three hits in 2.2 innings of work.

The Golden Eagles notched nine hits. Sawyer Satrom (Sr., IF, Portland, N.D.) went 2-of-3, with three RBI. Aaron Wensloff (So., IF/OF, Roseau, Minn.) finished 2-of-3, with two runs scored. Kobe Senn (Sr., IF, Fargo, N.D.) was 2-of-3, with a run scored. Josh Dykhoff (Jr., RHP/DH, Wadena, Minn.) finished 1-of-4, with an RBI, and a run scored, while Brock Larsen (R-Jr., C/1B, Blaine, Minn.) was 1-of-2, with an RBI, and a run scored.

The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first with back-to-back home runs from Larsen, and Dykhoff.

Winona State evened the tally 2-2 in the second with a Ben Hefel home run, bringing in Adam Wall.

The Warriors pushed the advantage to 3-2 in the fourth with an Alex Berreth solo shot. A Hefel double brought in Jess Ondel to extend the lead to 4-2. Josh Gullickson came around on a wild pitch to push it to 5-2. A Josh Hatano single scored Hefel to widen the gap to 6-2.

Minnesota Crookston got a run back in the bottom of the fourth with a Debilzen triple, plating Kyler Miller (Fr., SS, Grand Rapids, Minn.). 

In the fifth, the Golden Eagles cut it to 6-5 on a Satrom single, plating Aaron Wensloff, and Senn.

Winona State extended their advantage to 8-5 in the sixth when Berreth reached on an error, allowing Hatano, and Dylan Harer to score.

The Golden Eagles made up a run in the bottom of the seventh when Aaron Wensloff scored on a wild pitch. However, they were unable to make up the final two runs as they fell 8-6.

Game Two

Minnesota Crookston made it a split as they picked up the 10-3 win in game two. The Golden Eagles were lifted by five runs in the bottom of the second.

Nate Benning (So., LHP, Browerville, Minn.) improved to 2-2 with the win in Sunday's start. Benning threw five innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. Benning struck out four, and walked three. Caden Edwards (R-Sr., LHP, Duluth, Minn.) tossed a pair of scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Max Weber (R-Sr., RHP, St. Paul, Minn.) threw a scoreless inning, as did Nate Grafsgaard (R-Sr., RHP, Devils Lake, N.D.).

The loss went to Boyd Skelley, who allowed five runs on five hits in two stanzas.

The U of M Crookston was lifted by Dykhoff, who made his first start at first base since May 13, 2023 in the NSIC tournament against Augustana. He went 3-of-4, with an RBI, and two runs scored. Larsen was 1-of-5, with three RBI. Aaron Wensloff finished 2-of-3, with an RBI, and two runs scored. Senn was 2-of-3, with an RBI. Satrom went 1-of-2, with two RBI, and a run scored.

Minnesota Crookston took a 1-0 edge in the second with an Aaron Wensloff single, scoring Danny Wensloff. A Kyler Miller single brought in Satrom to make it 2-0. Larsen cleared the bases in the second with a double off the wall in center, scoring Debilzen, Kyler Miller, and his brother Kodi Miller to extend the advantage to 5-0.

Winona State trimmed the deficit to 5-1 in the fourth with a solo shot by Gullickson in the fourth.

In the fifth, the Warriors used a Gullickson solo shot to cut it to 5-2. In the sixth frame, Connor Weed was hit by a pitch with the bases full, scoring Wall.

Minnesota Crookston added a run in the sixth. Senn was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, bringing in Dykhoff to make it 6-3. Later in the sixth, Satrom singled, scoring Aaron Wensloff, and Danny Wensloff to push it to 8-3.

The Golden Eagles added a run in the seventh with a solo shot by Dykhoff to extend it to 9-3.

In the eighth, Jonah Norman (R-So., C, Winnipeg, Manitoba) came through with a pinch-hit single, scoring Aaron Wensloff.

The Warriors were unable to make up the gap, as they fell 10-3. 

Minnesota Crookston remains in the Red River Valley, as they host Minot State Wednesday, April 9 at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.