Baseball | 2/19/2026 9:39:00 PM
FORT SCOTT, Kan. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team opened their four-game set in Fort Scott, Kan., with a split with Concordia University-St. Paul. The Golden Eagles fell in extra innings in the first game 18-10 to the Golden Bears, and took game two 9-7 at LaRoche Baseball Complex.
Minnesota Crookston moved to 4-5 (3-2 NSIC) with Thursday's split. Concordia-St. Paul is 2-4 (1-1 NSIC) after Thursday's tilts. The Golden Bears had won three-straight prior to the Thursday win in game two. The Golden Eagles are 9-4 against Concordia-St. Paul since April 11, 2021.
Game One
Concordia-St. Paul scored eight runs in the top of the eighth after Minnesota Crookston came back from a 10-4 deficit to force extra innings. The game was knotted 10-10 after seven, but a Gus Berger three-run home run guided the Golden Bears onslaught in the eighth frame.
The Golden Eagles used seven pitchers, as they continue to give different guys looks on the mound. Isaac Roers (R-Sr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) started and threw 3.2 innings, allowing eight runs on eight hits. Roers struck out five, and walked three. Carsen Barta (R-So., RHP, Fargo, N.D.) allowed two runs on three hits in one frame. He struck out one, and walked one. Jake Jaroszewski (So., LHP, Fargo, N.D.) had a stand-out appearance, tossing 1.1 innings and allowing no runs on no hits. He struck out three, and walked one. Derek Carpenter (Fr., RHP, Hatton, N.D.) threw 0.1 innings, walking two. Bodhi Mossestad (Fr., RHP, Thief River Falls, Minn.) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on one hit in 0.2 innings. Lake Hagen (Jr., RHP, Alexandria, Minn.) allowed six runs on four hits in 0.1 innings, while Eli Denisen (R-Jr., LHP, Winona, Minn.) threw a scoreless 0.2 frames.
Sam Kennedy went 3.1 innings, allowing four runs on five hits. He struck out seven, and walked two. Liam Bystol tossed 1.2 innings, giving up one earned run on three hits. Christian Lindow earned the win in relief, allowing two earned runs on six hits. He struck out one. Cole Newell tossed one inning, striking out three and walking two.
The Minnesota Crookston bats continued to be a major factor. The Golden Eagles are averaging 9.9 runs per game. Jackson Fliflet (R-So., C, Wahpeton, N.D.) continues to guide the offense, hitting .565 in nine games, with 10 runs scored, four home runs, and 10 RBI. Fliflet went 4-of-4, with four RBI, and two runs scored, including a pair of home runs. Elias Leach (Fr., OF/LHP, Plymouth, Minn.) went 2-of-3, with an RBI, and a run scored. Americo Sculati (R-Sr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) hit 2-of-4, with an RBI, and two runs scored. Tori Uhlich (Jr., OF, Wahpeton, N.D.) set the table, going 2-of-5, with a run scored, while Caden Kappes (Jr., IF, Wahpeton, N.D.) was 2-of-4, with a run scored.
Concordia-St. Paul's two through five hitters were a combined 12-of-20, with 10 runs scored, and 12 RBI. Berger guided the squad, hitting 3-of-4, with six RBI, and three runs scored.
The Golden Bears took a 1-0 lead when Eric Berg doubled in Kaden Johnson in the top of the first.
Concordia-St. Paul put together a big inning in the top of the third with four runs. A Berger two-run blast, brought in Eli Nelson to push the advantage to 3-0. Will Husemann pushed the lead to 4-0 with a single to plate Charlie Harms. Berg scored on a foul popout to first to make it 5-0.
The Golden Eagles countered in their half of the third. Fliflet opened the stanza with a solo shut to cut the deficit to 5-1. An Aaron Wensloff (Jr., IF, Roseau, Minn.) double plated Kyler Miller (So., SS, Grand Rapids, Minn.) to trim the lead to 5-2.
The Golden Bears added four runs in the top of the fourth, propelled by a Berg two RBI single, driving in Harms, and Berger.
Minnesota Crookston got back two runs in the bottom of the fourth with a two RBI double from Fliflet, bringing around Leach, and Sculati and pulling the Golden Eagles within 9-4.
In the top of the fifth, Concordia-St. Paul utilized a Chase McQuade solo shot to extend the lead to 10-4.
Minnesota Crookston trimmed the deficit to 10-6 in the bottom of the fifth when Cole Hebl (R-So., 1B, Hillsboro, N.D.) singled, and Miller scored on a fielding error in right field. A double to right field from Leach, scored Hebl to cap off the stanza.
The Golden Eagles obtained three runs in the sixth. Fliflet led off another end with a solo home run to pull the squad within 10-7. A Miller sacrifice fly, brought in Kappes to cut the deficit to 10-8. Uhlich scored on a passed ball to trim the Golden Bear edge to 10-9.
In the bottom of the seventh, a Sculati solo shot knotted the game 10-10. The Golden Eagles were unable to get the game-winning run, sending the game to extra innings.
Concordia-St. Paul secured the win led by eight runs in the top of the eighth. Berger's three-run home run propelled the squad, while Max Kaplan and Eli Nelson each had two RBI swings.
Game Two
Minnesota Crookston was guided by back-to-back four-run innings in the third and fifth to topple the Golden Bears 9-7 in the second tilt.
Isaac Wensloff (Sr., RHP, Roseau, Minn.) continued to be steady on the mound and keep the Golden Eagles in it, as he has in many games over his four-year career. Wensloff improved to 2-0 as he allowed six runs on six hits. He struck out four, and walked five in 4.2 innings. Ashton Detloff (Fr., LHP, Perham, Minn.) continued to be one of the top relievers for the Golden Eagles. He has a 1.80 ERA in five innings. Detloff picked up the save in 2.1 innings, striking out two and walking one. He allowed one run on one hit.
Ollie Yuhas started and picked up the loss, allowing three earned runs on five hits. He struck out three, and walked four. Tyus Smith allowed one run on two hits in 0.2 innings, while Caden Carson gave up no earned runs on two hits in two frames.
Minnesota Crookston was lifted by Hebl, who went 2-of-4, with five RBI. Sculati finished 2-of-4 with an RBI, and a run scored. Fliflet was 1-of-2, with two runs scored. Kappes went 2-of-2, with two RBI and a run scored.
McQuade guided the Golden Bears, hitting 2-of-4, with two RBI.
After a scoreless first five half innings, Fliflet scored on the bases loaded as Sculati reached on an error to make it 1-0. A Hebl double dropped in between the fielders in center, to clear the bases, scoring Sculati, Aaron Wensloff, and Uhlich to extend the lead to 4-0.
The Golden Bears sliced the shortfall to 4-1 when Nick Carlson walked with the bases loaded, plating Harms. Later in the fourth, Max Kaplan singled in Husemann and Berg to pull the squad within 4-3. A Berger two RBI double, scored Nelson and Kaplan to provide a 5-4 edge for Concordia-St. Paul.
Minnesota Crookston scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth. A Kappes double, drove in Fliflet to knot the game 5-5. A Sculati infield single, scored Kappes to give the Golden Eagles a 6-5 lead. A two RBI single for Hebl, scored Uhlich, and Aaron Wensloff to push the advantage to 8-5.
In the fifth, a McQuade double scored Carlson to pull the Golden Bears within 8-6.
Minnesota Crookston extended their lead to 9-6 on a Kappes single to center field, scoring Miller.
Detloff worked through trouble in the top of the seventh to earn the save and preserve the win. The Golden Bears did get a run in the stanza when McQuade singled in Berg, but it would not be enough.
The Golden Eagles will play the Golden Bears in a doubleheader Friday, February 20 in Fort Scott, Kan. The first game will be a NSIC game and will be nine innings, while the finale will be non-conference and is slated for seven innings.
