AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team scored four runs in the eighth and ninth innings to edge Rockhurst University Monday, March 2 at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Fla. The game was plagued by errors, as the Golden Eagles had three, and the Hawks six.
The Golden Eagles improved to 8-6 with the win. Minnesota Crookston improved to 2-1 with Monday's victory. Rockhurst dropped to 9-2 with just their second loss of the season. The victory is their first over the Hawks since a 12-8 win in Clearwater March 14, 2016.
Nate Benning (Jr., LHP, Browerville, Minn.) put together his second consecutive quality start. Benning tossed five innings, allowing an unearned run on four hits. He struck out five, and walked one. Aaron Bennett (R-Jr., RHP, Saginaw, Minn.) allowed one earned run on two hits. Ashton Detloff (Fr., LHP, Perham, Minn.) had a quality outing out of the bullpen to improve to 2-0 with the win. He threw three innings, allowing no runs on one hit. Detloff struck out four, and walked one. Joey Connelly (Sr., LHP, Eden Prairie, Minn.) walked two and allowed one run in the ninth, while Isaac Roers (R-Sr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) shut the door for his first save of the season. He tossed one inning, allowing no runs on no hits.
Meade Rutherford started and tossed six innings, allowing three runs on three hits. He struck out five, and walked two. Brendan Rodis fell to 2-2 with the loss, allowing one earned run on three hits in 2.1 innings. He struck out two, and walked one. Zach Boland got a crucial strikeout in 0.1 innings of action.
Minnesota Crookston scattered eight hits Monday. Jackson Fliflet (R-So., C, Wahpeton, N.D.) went 1-of-5, with two runs scored. Aaron Wensloff (Jr., IF, Roseau, Minn.) finished 1-of-5, with an RBI, and a run scored. Elias Leach (Fr., OF, Plymouth, Minn.) hit 1-of-3, with a run scored. Tori Uhlich (Jr., OF, Wahpeton, N.D.) went 1-of-6, with an RBI and a run scored.
The Hawks were guided by Dakota Hannah, who went 1-of-4 with two RBIs. Michael Laudando was 2-of-5, with a run scored, while Kaden Jeffries went 2-of-3.
Minnesota Crookston took a 1-0 lead in the second when Caden Kappes (Jr., IF, Wahpeton, N.D.) reached on a fielder's choice, driving in fellow Wahpeton-native Fliflet. Later in the second, Uhlich reached on a fielder's choice, plating Leach to extend the lead to 2-0. Kyler Miller (So., SS, Grand Rapids, Minn.) crossed on a wild pitch to extend the advantage to 3-0.
Rockhurst took a run back in the bottom of the fifth. Braeden Barbee hit a single to drive in Luke Schultz to cut the deficit to 3-1.
In the sixth, a Dakota Hanna single to center field plated Laudando, and Afton Koch to knot the tilt 3-3. Rockhurst took the 4-3 lead when Colton Wemhoff scored on a Schultz groundout.
Minnesota Crookston tied the game in the seventh when Uhlich scored after stealing third, and scoring on a throwing error.
The Golden Eagles took the lead in the eighth with a single from pinch-hitter Jonah Norman (R-Jr., C, Winnipeg, Manitoba). Fliflet scored, while Miller scored on an error to lengthen the lead to 6-4.
Minnesota Crookston pushed their lead to 7-4 in the ninth with an Aaron Wensloff double to score Cole Hebl (R-So., 1B, Hillsboro, N.D.). Later in the ninth, Wensloff scored after stealing third, and coming around on an error to extend the advantage to 8-4.
Rockhurst made a comeback attempt in the bottom of the ninth. Connelly came on and hit Luke Feucht with a pitch, followed by walks offered to Barbee, and Josh Syfert to load the bases with no outs. Koch reached on a fielder's choice, scoring Feucht to trim the lead to 8-5. Roers was able to get crucial outs from Laundando and Wemhoff to get the save and preserve the 8-5 win.
Minnesota Crookston returns to action Thursday, March 5 against Wilmington University at 2:30 p.m., C.T., at the Lake Myrtle Park main field in Auburndale, Fla.
