CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team picked up a 13-3 run-rule victory in their regular-season finale against Northern State University. The Golden Eagles clinched a spot in the NSIC Tournament for the seventh time in 10 seasons.
The Golden Eagles improved to 23-27 (20-20 NSIC) with Saturday's win. Minnesota Crookston finish tied for seventh with UMary in the standings but will get the No. 7 seed due to a tiebreaker, as they got two wins over Augustana University, while the Marauders had one. Northern State dropped to 15-32 (11-29 NSIC) with the loss.
Josh Dykhoff (Jr., RHP/DH, Wadena, Minn.) got the ball in the crucial tilt for the Golden Eagles, and he answered the call. Dykhoff tossed seven innings, and allowed just one earned run on six hits. Dykhoff struck out 10, and walked just one. Dykhoff has 79 strikeouts, and just six walks during his junior campaign. Nate Grafsgaard (R-Sr., RHP, Devils Lake, N.D.) got his ninth save of the season, coming in with just a three-run lead in the eighth. Grafsgaard went one inning, allowing no runs on no hits, with two strikeouts and a walk.
The loss for the Wolves went to Drew Burkholder, who fell to 1-4. Burkholder allowed six runs on nine hits. He struck out four, and walked four.
Minnesota Crookston was led by Aaron Wensloff (So., IF/OF, Roseau, Minn.), who went 2-of-4, with three RBI, and two runs scored. Dylan Debilzen (Fr., OF, Parkers Prairie, Minn.) finished 2-of-4, with an RBI, and two runs scored. Dykhoff went 1-of-3, with two RBI, and two runs scored. Sawyer Satrom (Sr., IF, Portland, N.D.) was 1-of-3, with a run scored. Danny Wensloff (R-Sr., OF/C, Roseau, Minn.) had a great senior day going 3-of-5, with three RBI, and two runs scored.
Minnesota Crookston got out to a 1-0 lead in the third with an Americo Sculati (R-Jr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) sacrifice fly to plate Aaron Wensloff.
The Golden Eagles extended their advantage in the fourth on a Dykhoff single up the middle to plate Debilzen, and Danny Wensloff and make it 3-0. Later in the fourth, Satrom crossed the plate on an Aaron Wensloff groundout. A Sculati single drove in Dykhoff to widen the gap to 5-0. To cap off the fourth stanza, Brock Larsen (R-Jr. C/1B, Blaine, Minn.) doubled in Sculati to push it to 6-0.
Northern State made a charge in the fifth as Michael Benavides scored on a Brennan Phillips groundout to cut it to 6-1. Later in the fifth, Mateo Tahsini singled, and Xavier Paar scored on an error. The inning was concluded by Nicholas Ochoa driving in Tahsini on a single to cut it to 6-3.
Minnesota Crookston was able to walk off the win with seven runs in the bottom of the eighth. An Aaron Wensloff double drove in Dykhoff, and Debilzen to push the lead to 8-3. Kobe Senn (Sr., IF, Fargo, N.D.) hit an infield single to score Aaron Wensloff to extend the advantage to 9-3. A Danny Wensloff triple drove in Senn, Connor Bushbaum (R-Jr., OF, Saginaw, Minn.), and Sculati to push the lead to 12-3. They walked off the game with a Debilzen single to plate Danny Wensloff, winning 13-3.
Saturday, Minnesota Crookston honored their senior class who has meant a great deal to the success of the program; Satrom, Grafsgaard, Danny Wensloff, Senn, Caden Edwards, Jacob Mathiason, Max Weber, and Kodi Miller.
