FORT SCOTT, Kan. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team completed a Friday sweep of Concordia University-St. Paul with a 6-4 victory and a 10-7 win at LaRoche Baseball Complex in Fort Scott, Kan.
Minnesota Crookston improved to 6-5 (4-2 NSIC) with the wins, while Concordia-St. Paul dropped to 2-6 (1-2 NSIC) with the losses. The first game was a NSIC tilt, while the second contest was officially a non-conference game. Minnesota Crookston won the overall series 3-1, and the conference slate 2-1. The Golden Eagles have won the last three games, after Concordia-St. Paul had won three in a row. Minnesota Crookston is 11-4 in the last 15 games dating back to 2023.
Game One
Minnesota Crookston picked up the 6-4 victory as they held off the Golden Bears. The Golden Eagles left 12 runners on base, including three bases loaded situations but were able to hold Concordia-St. Paul at bay to get a crucial win.
Kyle Odenbach (Sr., LHP, Thompson, N.D.) started and went three innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits. Odenbach walked one. Minnesota Crookston was lifted by an impressive relief outing from Nate Heymann (Jr., RHP/OF, Waimea, Hawai'i), who tossed four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit. Heymann struck out two, and walked three. He improved to 2-1 with the win. Aaron Bennett (R-Jr., RHP, Saginaw, Minn.) tossed a scoreless frame, with a strikeout and a hit. Joey Connelly (Sr., LHP, Eden Prairie, Minn.) picked up his second save of the season, allowing no runs and no hits in one stanza.
Jack Thompson suffered the loss for the Golden Bears, allowing five runs on four hits in three frames. Justin Benjamin tossed 2.2 scoreless stanzas in relief.
The Golden Eagles were lifted by Elias Leach (Fr., OF/LHP, Plymouth, Minn.), who went 3-of-4, with a run scored. Americo Sculati (R-Sr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) was 1-of-3, with two RBI. Jackson Fliflet (R-So., C, Wahpeton, N.D.) finished 1-of-3, with two runs scored. A combined eight batters were hit in the game, by both teams. Connor Bushbaum (R-Sr., OF, Saginaw, Minn.) went 0-of-1 with one run scored, but had three stolen bases after reaching on two hit by pitches, and a walk.
The Golden Bears were lifted by Max Kaplan, who went 3-of-4, with an RBI.
Minnesota Crookston took a 1-0 lead in the first as Sculati doubled down the line, plating Tori Uhlich (Jr., OF, Wahpeton, N.D.).
The Golden Bears took a 2-1 advantage when Kaplan singled in Carlson, Chase McQuade scored on a throwing error by Odenbach.
Minnesota Crookston knotted the game 2-2 in the second when Fliflet crossed on a wild pitch. In the same inning, Thomas Schumacher (Fr., IF, Thompson, N.D.) reached on an error, and Leach scored to give the Golden Eagles a 3-2 advantage.
The two teams continued to go back and forth, as Charlie Harms doubled in Gus Berger to tie the tilt 3-3 in the third. A Will Husemann base-knock scored Harms to give the Golden Bears a 4-3 advantage.
Minnesota Crookston responded as Bushbaum scored on a Sculati sacrifice fly to tie the tilt 4-4 in the third. Aaron Wensloff (Jr., IF, Roseau, Minn.) scored on a wild pitch to give the Golden Eagles a 5-4 lead.
The final run of the game came when Kyler Miller (So., SS, Grand Rapids, Minn.) singled in Fliflet in the fifth. Neither team would get a run across in the final four innings, as Minnesota Crookston won 6-4. In the top of the ninth, Berger looked to have a solo shot over the right field fence, but Bushbaum robbed the home run at the fence for a web gem play for the Golden Eagles to help preserve the victory.
Game Two
The Golden Eagles used a combined nine runs in the fifth and sixth innings to topple the Golden Bears in the second game. Concordia-St. Paul made a late charge, as they scored six runs in the top of the seventh but ultimately fell short 10-7.
The game would be a pitcher's duel through the first four-and-a-half innings before being busted open at the plate. Nate Benning (Jr., LHP, Browerville, Minn.), who has been a staple in the starting rotation for three seasons, got back to form with a strong outing Friday. Benning tossed five innings, allowing just one run on seven hits. He struck out five, and walked two. Benning improved to 1-0 with the victory. Connelly picked up his second save of the day, and third of the season. He went 0.2 innings, striking out two.
Jaxson Bennett (R-Jr., RHP, Saginaw, Minn.) threw one inning, allowing four runs on three hits. Jaxon Hams (Fr., RHP, Thief River Falls, Minn.) gave up two runs on two walks in 0.1 frames, while Carsen Barta (R-So., RHP, Fargo, N.D.) allowed no runs on one hit.
The loss went to Evan Newlander, who had a strong outing, but gave up four runs in his final frame. Newlander allowed four earned runs on four hits in 4.2 innings, with seven strikeouts and two walks.
The Golden Eagles were lifted by Sculati, who went 2-of-4, with five RBI, and two runs scored with two home runs. Sculati has a team-high seven home runs. Bushbaum went 2-of-4, with three RBI and two runs scored. Hebl was 2-of-3, while Miller went 2-of-3, with an RBI and a run scored.
Eric Berg finished 2-of-3, with two RBI for the Golden Bears. Blake Eckmann was 2-of-2, with an RBI and a run scored.
The Golden Bears took a 1-0 lead in the first when Berg doubled in Kaden Johnson.
The score remained 1-1 until the bottom of the second when Leach scored on a failed pickoff attempt. The tally stayed at 1-1 with both pitchers dictating the pace until Minnesota Crookston got to Newlander in the fifth. A Bushbaum single plated Miller to give Minnesota Crookston a 2-1 lead. Sculati then sent one over the fence for a three-run shot, scoring Bushbaum, and Uhlich to extend the lead to 5-1.
The Golden Eagles added five runs in the sixth. A Miller single plated pinch-runner Jack Hansen (Fr., OF, Mankato, Minn.) to put Minnesota Crookston ahead 6-1. Bushbaum singled to right field, plating Schumacher, and Miller to extend the lead to 8-1. Sculati's second round tripper of the game, scored Bushbaum to widen the gap to 10-1.
In the top of the seventh, down 10-1, the Golden Bears went to their bench for five-straight pinch-hitters who came through at the plate to mount a rally. A Tate Gage single drove in Eckmann to trim the deficit to 10-2. Hawken Hedlund drove in Gage with a double to cut the deficit to 10-3. Hedlund scored on a wild pitch to pull the Golden Bears within 10-4. Berg walked with the bases loaded, driving in Luke Lehnen to cut the deficit to 10-5. Nolan Swenson scored on a wild pitch to trim the lead to 10-6. Eckmann delivered again with a single in the same frame, plating Harms to cut it to 10-7. Connelly came in relief, and got the final two outs to hold off the Golden Bear rally for the 10-7 win for Minnesota Crookston.
The Golden Eagles are set for a seven-game trip at the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational in Florida, commencing February 28 against Northwood University at 2:30 p.m. C.T., in Auburndale, Fla.
