WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team earned a dominant 8-1 win over West Virginia Wesleyan College Friday, March 6 at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla. The Golden Eagles were led by commanding pitching from Ashton Detloff (Fr., LHP, Perham, Minn.) and Kaylor Chamberlain (So., RHP, Mankato, Minn.) in the victory.
Minnesota Crookston improved to 9-7 with the Friday morning victory. West Virginia Wesleyan dropped to 3-10 with the loss. The Golden Eagles improved to 6-0 all-time against the Bobcats. They last played the squad in 2023 with a 9-3 win. Their first meeting came with two games in 2018 in Auburndale, Fla. The Golden Eagles improved to 3-2 in Florida, with two games remaining.
Detloff has been outstanding early in his freshman season. He improved to 3-0, the most wins for a Golden Eagle pitcher this season, throwing five innings and allowing just one run on two hits. He struck out four, and walked four. Detloff has a 1.38 ERA in 13 innings pitched this season, with 12 strikeouts. The start was Detloff's first of his career. He is limiting teams to a .122 batting average. Chamberlain had his best performance on the mound for Minnesota Crookston. The sophomore picked up the save after pitching three or more effective innings in relief for the Golden Eagles. Chamberlain tossed four frames, allowing no runs on one hit. He struck out three, and walked one.
Liam Sharer was handed the loss for the Bobcats, allowing six runs on six hits in four frames. He struck out four, and walked five. Bryson Peffer was effective in three innings, allowing no runs on two hits. He struck out four, and walked one. Nolan Slaughter gave up two runs on two walks, while Adiel Rivera pitched a scoreless stanza.
Minnesota Crookston scored eight runs on eight hits. They also walked eight times. Aaron Wensloff (Jr., IF, Roseau, Minn.) was 0-of-2, but stole four bases on a walk and two hit by pitches, scoring one run. Minnesota Crookston stole nine bases Friday.
Tori Uhlich (Jr., OF, Wahpeton, N.D.) went 2-of-2, with three RBI. Cole Hebl (R-So., 1B, Hillsboro, N.D.) finished 1-of-3, with two runs scored. Elias Leach (Fr., OF, Plymouth, Minn.) continued his great start to his freshman campaign, hitting 2-of-3, with an RBI, and a run scored. Kyler Miller (So., SS, Grand Rapids, Minn.) finished 2-of-3.
West Virginia Wesleyan took the early 1-0 advantage in the top of the second when Carter Collins doubled in Matthew Neach.
The Golden Eagles countered in their half of the second with a Uhlich double to left field, driving in Jonah Norman (R-Jr., C, Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Leach to secure a 2-1 advantage, one they wouldn't cede.
In the third, Wensloff started the scoring as he stole third and crossed on a throwing error by the catcher to make it 3-1. A Nate Heymann (Jr., OF, Waimea, Hawai'i) single drove in Leach to extend the advantage to 4-1. Uhlich walked with the bases loaded to plate Jackson Fliflet (R-So., C, Wahpeton, N.D.) and extend their edge to 5-1.
In the fourth frame, a Leach sacrifice fly brought in Hebl to push the lead to 6-1.
In the eighth, Hebl crossed the plate on a wild pitch to extend the advantage to 7-1. Minnesota Crookston capped off the scoring when Americo Sculati (R-Sr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) scored when Fliflet grounded into a double play.
Minnesota Crookston continues their Florida excursion Saturday, March 7 as they take on Saginaw Valley State University at 8 a.m. C.T., in Auburndale, Fla.
