CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team took a Saturday sweep from Northern State University with 8-2 and 9-4 defeats of the Wolves. The Golden Eagles win the series with the sweep. Minnesota Crookston had a balanced effort with strong hitting and pitching Saturday.
The Golden Eagles improved to 16-10 (9-5 NSIC) with the sweep of Northern State. Minnesota Crookston is currently in sixth place in the NSIC standings. Northern State dropped to 7-12 (5-9 NSIC) with Saturday's losses. Minnesota Crookston is 14-2 since 2021 against the Wolves.
Game One
Americo Sculati (R-Sr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) went 3-of-4 with four RBI and two runs scored as Minnesota Crookston took an 8-2 win in the first game of the double dip. Isaac Wensloff (Sr., RHP, Roseau, Minn.) paired with Minnesota Crookston's 12 hits with a gem on the hill Saturday to deliver the victory.
Isaac Wensloff tossed a complete seven innings, allowing two runs on two hits. He struck out eight and walked one in one of his best outings as a Minnesota Crookston pitcher. Wensloff retired 20-of-21 batters after the first three hitters in the top of the first.
Carson Zimmel suffered the loss after allowing seven runs on 10 hits. Zimmel struck out five, and walked five. Palmer Boyd appeared out of the bullpen, tossing 0.2 innings and allowing one run on two hits.
Sculati guided Minnesota Crookston's bats. Jackson Fliflet (R-So., C, Wahpeton, N.D.) went 2-of-4, with a run scored. Elias Leach (Fr., OF, Plymouth, Minn.) went 1-of-2 with two runs scored. Thomas Schumacher (Fr., IF, Thompson, N.D.) was 2-of-2 with two RBI and one run scored.
Mateo Tahsini led off the game with a double for Northern State. He came across on a Casey Vining home run to give the Wolves an early 2-0 advantage.
The Golden Eagles trimmed the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the first when Sculati singled in Leach.
The tally remained 2-1 in favor of Northern State until the bottom of the fourth when Schumacher used a double down the line to plate Connor Bushbaum (R-Sr., OF, Saginaw, Minn.) and Fliflet, taking a 3-2 advantage.
The Golden Eagles took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth with Sculati's solo shot over the left field fence, his eighth of the season.
Minnesota Crookston padded their lead with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sculati used a two RBI single, driving in Tori Uhlich (Jr., OF, Wahpeton, N.D.) and Schumacher to widen the gap to 6-2. Cole Hebl (R-So., 1B, Hillsboro, N.D.) doubled to left center, plating Sculati, and Leach to give Minnesota Crookston a final tally of 8-2.
Game Two
Isaac Roers (R-Sr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) put together one of his best outings of the season, and 14 hits at the plate to pick up a 9-4 lead.
Roers moved to 2-0 with the win, throwing six innings. He allowed three runs on four hits in six innings. Roers struck out five, and walked three. Lake Hagen (Jr., RHP, Alexandria, Minn.) threw one innings, giving up one run on one hit. Braden Nelson (R-Fr., RHP, Minot, N.D.) tossed a scoreless eighth, with no runs on two hits. Ashton Detloff (Fr., LHP, Perham, Minn.) allowed no runs in the ninth with two strikeouts and two walks.
Lance Behrens picked up the loss after allowing three earned runs on seven hits in four innings. He struck out five and walked one. Carter Sommer pitched two scoreless innings for the Wolves
Minnesota Crookston had several key contributors in game two. Aaron Wensloff (Jr., IF, Roseau, Minn.) scored three runs on four walks. Sculati continued his big day, hitting 2-of-5, with two RBIs and two runs scored. Hebl went 2-of-5, with two RBI. Schumacher finished 2-of-4, with one RBI and a run scored. Caden Kappes (Jr., IF, Wahpeton, N.D.) hit 1-of-3, with one RBI and a run scored.
Northern State took an early 1-0 lead in the first with a solo shot from Dalton Kesti.
Minnesota Crookston responded in the bottom of the first with a Sculati double to center field to plate Aaron Wensloff to knot the tilt 1-1. Hebl came through with a single, scoring Sculati to give the Golden Eagles a 2-1 lead.
In the second stanza, Schumacher doubled in Kappes to make it 3-1.
Minnesota Crookston put in three runs in the fifth. Sculati singled in Uhlich to widen the gap to 4-1. A Hebl single brought in Aaron Wensloff to extend the lead to 5-1. Kappes converted a sacrifice fly, scoring Sculati to push the lead to 6-1.
Minnesota Crookston added two runs in the sixth on Leach's fifth home run of the season as the freshman ended the day hitting .411 in his debut season to lead the squad. He drove in Schumacher to lengthen the lead to 8-1.
The Golden Eagles pushed the lead to 9-1 in the sixth when Fliflet reached on an error and Aaron Wensloff scored.
Northern State got three runs in the seventh on Kesti's second home run of the game, scoring Dylan Soulek, and Kyle Konechne to trim the lead to 9-4. Minnesota Crookston hung on after Detloff walked the first two batters, but retired three consecutive to preserve the victory.
The Golden Eagles conclude the series Sunday, March 29 at 1 p.m., against Northern State.
