AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team fell 9-3 to Wilmington University Thursday, March 5 at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, Fla. The Wildcats set the tone early with three runs in the first and did not look back in a weather-delayed game in the Sunshine State Thursday.
Minnesota Crookston dropped to 8-7 with Thursday's loss, while Wilmington improved to 7-3. The Wildcats boasted 37 wins in 2025, and made the NCAA DIvision II East Region Tournament. The Golden Eagles are 2-2 in Florida. Wilmington improved to 2-0 all-time against the Golden Eagles. The two squads last played March 9, 2023 with a 11-1 loss in Auburndale, Fla.
Aaron Bennett (R-Jr., RHP, Saginaw, Minn.) started and allowed two earned runs on five hits in two innings. Minnesota Crookston got a look at a lot of their bullpen arms Thursday. Carsen Barta (R-So., RHP, Fargo, N.D.) tossed 1.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Lake Hagen (Jr., RHP, Alexandria, Minn.) went 2.1 innings, giving up two runs on two hits. Braden Nelson (R-Fr., RHP, Minot, N.D.) was effective in his second appearance of the season, allowing no runs on no hits in 1.1 frames. Jaxon Hams (Fr., RHP, Thief River Falls, Minn.) tossed a scoreless stanza, while Elias Leach (Fr., OF/LHP, Plymouth, Minn.) allowed one run on no hits, and a walk.
The Golden Eagles were limited to five hits. Cole Hebl (R-So., 1B, Hillsboro, N.D.) went 1-of-3, with one RBI. Caden Kappes (Jr., IF, Wahpeton, N.D.) hit 1-of-3, with an RBI. Tori Uhlich (Jr., OF, Wahpeton, N.D.) was 1-of-3, while Nate Heymann (Jr., OF, Waimea, Hawai'i) was 1-of-1, with an RBI.
MJ Phillips started and went 1.2 innings, allowing one run on one hit. He struck out one, and walked three. Scott Borgmann got the win in relief, he allowed no earned runs on three hits. Borgmann struck out 10, and walked one. Garrett Quinn gave up one run on one hit in the ninth stanza.
Wilmington took an early 1-0 lead when Cam Trego crossed on a wild pitch. Chase Fleming also came in on a wild pitch to push the advantage to 2-0. A Brian Klumpp RBI groundout, scored Zach Frame to push the Wildcats to a 3-0 lead.
In the second stanza, Fleming reached on an error, scoring Ryan Kiendle to widen the gap to 4-0.
Minnesota Crookston got a run back in the bottom of the second with a Kappes RBI base-knock, plating Leach to trim the deficit to 4-1.
In the third, a Tyler Pirrung single drove in Brett Walmsley to extend the lead to 5-1. Kiendle followed with a single, plating Pirrung to push the edge to 6-1.
Minnesota Crookston pulled within 6-2 in the third with a Hebl RBI single, scoring Connor Bushbaum (R-Sr., OF, Saginaw, Minn.).
In the sixth, a Trego solo shot over the right field fence, scored Justin Hernandez to widen the gap to 8-2.
The Wildcats used a Klumpp sacrifice fly to bring in Fleming to extend their lead to 9-2.
Minnesota Crookston got a run back in the bottom of the ninth with a pinch-hit double from Heymann, driving in Kyler Miller (So., SS, Grand Rapids, Minn.) to cut the gap to 9-3. The Golden Eagles were unable to make up any more ground in the loss.
Minnesota Crookston continues their Florida excursion against West Virginia Wesleyan College Friday, March 6 at 8:30 a.m. C.T., at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla.
