Baseball | 2/8/2026 3:33:00 PM

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The University of Colorado-Colorado Springs picked up a win in a whirlwind offensive tussle Sunday, February 8 against the University of Minnesota Crookston. The Mountain Lions used a walk-off single from Tyler Genrich to earn a 23-22 win. The Golden Eagles came back from a 14-3 deficit and led UC-Colorado Springs 22-19 in the bottom of the ninth, but allowed four runs in the final frame.

The game is the highest combined scoring game in Minnesota Crookston baseball history with 45 wins. It surpasses a 26-18 loss to the University of Minnesota Duluth April 30, 2009. Minnesota Crookston dropped to 1-2 as UC-Colorado Springs earned the rubber game victory. The Golden Eagles were just three runs shy of their run record set in 2015 with 25 runs against Clearwater Christian. The Mountain Lions improved to 3-3 with the win. 

Minnesota Crookston notched 22 runs on 14 hits, with eight walks and three home runs. Nate Heymann (Jr., OF/RHP, Waimea, Hawai'i) went 3-of-5 with two RBIS and three runs scored. Elias Leach (Fr., OF/LHP, Plymouth, Minn.) was 3-of-6, with three RBIs and three runs scored. Jackson Fliflet (R-So., C, Wahpeton, N.D.) went 2-of-4, with four RBIs and three runs scored. Tori Uhlich (Jr., OF, Wahpetoin, N.D.) went 2-of-6, with one run scored and one RBI.

Nate Benning (Jr., LHP, Browerville, Minn.) started and tossed 1.1 innings, allowing six earned runs on six hits. Kaylor Chamberlain (So., RHP, Mankato, Minn.) allowed just one earned run on six hits in 1.1 innings. Jake Jaroszewski (So., LHP, Fargo, N.D.) allowed an unearned run in 0.1 innings. Bodhi Mossestad (Fr., RHP, Thief River Falls, Minn.) was effective in two innings with no earned runs. Derek Carpenter (R-Fr., RHP, Hatton, N.D.) tossed one inning allowing two runs. Asher Blaine (Fr., RHP, Frazee, Minn.) allowed three runs in 0.1 innings. Jaxson Bennett (R-Jr., RHP, Saginaw, Minn.) tossed a scoreless 0.2 innings. Joey Connelly (Sr., LHP, Eden Prairie, Minn.) threw a scoreless inning. Jaxon Hams (Fr., RHP, Thief River Falls, Minn.) suffered the loss, allowing four unearned runs on four hits. Leach allowed one hit. 

The win went to UC-Colorado Springs' Mason Hartle.

The Golden Eagles jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first. An Aaron Wensloff (Jr., IF, Roseau, Minn.) single drove in Uhlich to make it 1-0 in favor of Minnesota Crookston. Kyler Miller (So., SS, Grand Rapids, Minn.) scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 2-0. Wensloff crossed on a wild pitch to widen the ap to 3-0. The Mountain Lions would pitch out of further damage.

UC-Colorado Springs countered in the bottom of the first propelled by a grand slam from James Harbison, scoring Bryce Peterson, Brendan Killeen, and Matthew Shipley, and himself to give the Mountain Lions a 4-3 advantage.

The Mountain Lions added three runs in the bottom of the second. Tyler Genrich scored on a throwing error after Shipley stole second, and the throw was errant. A Killeen single drove in Shipley to extend the UC-Colorado Springs lead to 6-3. Peterson rounded out the scoring in the frame with a solo shot to push the advantage to 7-3.

UC-Colorado Springs put together a major inning in the bottom of the third, plating seven runs. Tyler Buchman slammed a solo home run to push the lead to 8-3. Genrich and Shipley scored on a throwing error to widen the gap to 10-3. Nolan Oliver doubled to left field to score Peterson and push the lead to 11-3. A Harbison two-run blast brought around Oliver to make it 13-3. The inning scoring concluded when Trevor Dale crossed on a fielding error.

The Golden Eagles made a dent in the lead in the top of the sixth when Leach singled up the middle, scoring Nate Heymann, and Cole Hebl (R-So., 1B, Hillsboro, N.D.Oto cut the deficit to 14-5. Miller was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, plating Leach to trim the lead to 14-6. Later in the stanza, Jackson Fliflet crossed on an Aaron Wensloff sacrifice fly to pull the Golden Eagles within 14-7.

A two-run home run from Peterson, brought in Killeen for the Mountain Lions in the bottom of the sixth to push the UC-Colorado Springs advantage to 16-7. 

Minnesota Crookston chipped away at the deficit in the top of the seventh. Americo Sculati (R-Sr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) pushed one over the fence, for a solo shot, trimming the deficit to 16-8. Later in the frame, Fliflet laced a double to score Heymann. Leach scored on a wild pitch to pull the U of M Crookston within 16-10. Fliflet scored on a Uhlich groundout to cut the deficit to 16-11. A two-run blast from Miller, brought in Thomas Schumacher to cut the Mountain Lion advantage to 16-13.

UC-Colorado Springs responded in the bottom of the seventh. A Buchman double scored Dale to widen the gap to 17-13. Genrich hit a two-run blast later in the frame, plating Buchman to extend the Mountain Lion lead to 19-13. 

Minnesota Crookston kept the offensive showcase intact, as they made a major dent in the top of the eighth,. A Leach double down the line, plated Hebl to pull the Golden Eagles within 19-14. In the next at-bat, Fliflet hit a three-run shot, scoring himself, Leach, and Heymann to cut the deficit to 19-17. Jonah Norman (R-Jr., C, Winnipeg, Manitoba) scored on a throwing error to bring Minnesota Crookston within 19-18. Minnesota Crookston loaded the bases with two outs. Hebl walked with the bases full, scoring Miller to knot the game 19-19. The Golden Eagles broke through for the lead with a Heymann two-run single, scoring Sculati and Wensloff to extend the advantage 21-19. Minnesota Crookston widened the gap 22-19 when Leach reached on an error, plating Hebl. UC-Colorado Springs pitched out of further danger to get to the bottom of the eighth.

UC-Colorado Springs put two on in the bottom of the eighth, but Connelly pitched out of the jam to preserve a 22-19 lead. 

The Golden Eagles and Hams got two quick outs in the bottom of the ninth with back-to-back strikeouts. After consecutive singles, Robert Vandegrift laced a double to plate Dale and tie the game 22-22. With Leach brought in to pitch, Genrich singled to center field to drive in Buchman and send the Mountain Lions to a walk-off victory 23-22. 

Minnesota Crookston returns to the field Saturday, February 14 against Southwest Minnesota State University in Fort Scott, Kan.