CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team scored 20 runs on 23 hits to pick up a 20-10 run-rule walk-off win to split with Winona State University on Senior Day Saturday, April 25 at the Minnesota Crookston Baseball Field. The Golden Eagles combined for eight home runs on the day, including a Cole Hebl (R-So., 1B, Hillsboro, N.D.) walk-off in game two.

The Golden Eagles improved to 24-19 (17-14 NSIC) with Saturday's split at home. Winona State sits at 22-21 (17-13 NSIC) with the split. They sit even in the series 1-1. Minnesota Crookston is currently in sixth in the NSIC standings, while Winona State is fifth. The Golden Eagles would jump Winona State in the standings with a win Sunday. Minnesota Crookston leads the series 3-2 in the last five games.

Game One
Winona State scored six runs in the third, and Minnesota Crookston committed four defensive blunders in a 9-3 loss in the first game Saturday.

Sawyer Hoffman improved to 4-2 with the game one victory. Hoffman threw six innings, allowing three runs on eight hits. Hoffman struck out six, and walked two. Boyd Skelley tossed the seventh, with no runs on no hits.

Isaac Wensloff (Sr., RHP, Roseau, Minn.) fell to 6-2 with his first loss since February. Wensloff went 2.2 innings, allowing nine runs, only two earned, on six hits. He struck out one, and walked one. Wensloff was pitching on Senior Day. He was suited up with his two brothers for the first time as both Aaron Wensloff and Eli Wensloff were dressed, the first game Eli has dressed in his career. Jake Jaroszewski (So., LHP, Fargo, N.D.) tossed 2.2 innings, allowing no runs on two hits. Braden Nelson (R-Fr., RHP, Minot, N.D.) threw a scoreless 1.2 innings on one hit. 

The Golden Eagles were led by Kyler Miller (So., SS, Grand Rapids, Minn.), who went 2-of-3, with an RBI. Jackson Fliflet (R-So., C, Wahpeton, N.D.) finished 1-of-3, with an RBI and a run scored, including his 15th home run of the season. Americo Sculati (R-Sr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) hit his 10th home run of the season, going 1-of-4, with an RBI and a run scored.

Winona State took a 1-0 advantage on a Dylan Harer double, scoring Payton Kohnle in the first. Jack Funke singled in Harer to extend the lead to 2-0. An Ethan Patterson single plated Funke to extend the lead to 3-0.

Minnesota Crookston got a run back in the top of the second with a solo shot from Sculati. 

The Warriors padded their lead in the third. A Garrett Hietpas single drove in Funke to push the lead to 4-1. Max Pederson and Patterson came in to score on an error to widen the gap to 6-1. Hietpas crossed on a Kohnle lineout to shortstop to extend the lead to 7-1. They capped off the frame with a two-run shot from Harer, scoring Hatano to widen the gap to 9-1.

The Golden Eagles got two runs back in the sixth. A Fliflet home run cut the lead to 9-2. Miller delivered a single to center field to drive in Connor Bushbaum (R-Sr., OF, Saginaw, Minn.) and bring the deficit to 9-3. Minnesota Crookston was unable to overcome the six-run gap as they fell 9-3.

Game Two
Fliflet and Hebl each hit two round trippers, including Hebl's walk-off one-run shot to run-rule the Warriors 20-10 in game two.

Fliflet hit three home runs in a great performance, tying Brock Reller for third in a single-season for home runs with 17. Fliflet went 2-of-5, with three RBIs and a run scored. Hebl had a banner game, going 5-of-6 with four RBIs and four runs scored including two home runs. Elias Leach (Fr., OF, Plymouth, Minn.) went 4-of-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Bushbaum finished 3-of-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored. Aaron Wensloff (Jr., IF, Roseau, Minn.) hit 4-of-6, with four RBIs and two runs scored. Minnesota Crookston hit six home runs in the game.

Nate Benning (Jr., LHP, Browerville, Minn.) started and went 4.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits. He struck out two, and walked three. Lake Hagen (Jr., RHP, Alexandria, Minn.) allowed four runs on three hits. Ashton Detloff (Fr., LHP, Perham, Minn.) gave up two runs on one hit in 0.1 innings. Kaylor Chamberlain (So., RHP, Mankato, Minn.) picked up the win in relief, going 2.1 scoreless innings, with just one hit allowed, two strikeouts, and two walks.

The loss went to Winona State's Ryan Buchta, who pitched 0.1 innings, allowing six runs on six hits. The Warriors pitched eight pitchers in the second game. 

Winona State took a 1-0 lead when Hatano scored on an Adam Wall groundout. 

Minnesota Crookston tallied six runs in the bottom of the first frame to chase Buchta from the game. Hebl hit a three-run blast over the fence to score Sculati, and Aaron Wensloff to give the Golden Eagles a 3-1 lead. Fliflet followed suit with back-to-back homers, his 16th of the season, giving Minnesota Crookston a 4-1 advantage. Leach crossed on a Kappes groundout to push the lead to 5-1. The Golden Eagles rounded out the frame when Miller singled in Bushbaum to give the squad a 6-1 advantage.

Winona State got a run back in the third when Hatano scored on an error to cut the deficit to 6-2.

Minnesota Crookston countered in the bottom of the third. Leach used a solo shot to extend the advantage to 7-2. An Aaron Wensloff double scored Kappes, and Tori Uhlich (Jr., OF, Wahpeton, N.D.) to give the Golden Eagles a 9-2 lead.

Winona State cut the lead to 9-4 in the fourth. A Connor Greuel double, brought in Hietpas, and Connor Weed.

Minnesota Crookston extended their edge to 11-4 with Fliflet's third home run of the day, plating Hebl in the fourth.

The Warriors came back in the top of the sixth. A Harer double brought in Greuel, and Hietpas to cut the lead to 11-6. Wall then delivered a two-run round tripper, scoring Harer to bring the Warriors within 11-8. A Weed two-run blast scored Easton Arendt to cut the deficit to 11-10.

Minnesota Crookston responded in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run shot from Bushbaum, plating Leach to extend the advantage to 13-10. 

The Golden Eagles added six runs in the bottom of the seventh. Wensloff scored on a throwing error to push the edge to 14-10. Bushbaum then delivered a double, scoring Leach, and Hebl to extend the lead to 16-10. Bushbaum pushed the limits on a wild pitch, getting under the tag to push the advantage to 17-10. A two RBI single from Aaron Wensloff, brought in Kappes, and Miller to make it 19-10.

Minnesota Crookston walked-off the game due to run-rule with Hebl's second home run of the game, giving the Golden Eagles a 20-10 win.

The Golden Eagles honored Bushbaum, Sculati, Isaac Wensloff, Isaac Roers (R-Sr., Stacy, Minn.), Isaac Telle (Sr., East Grand Forks, Minn.), Aaron Bennett (Sr., Saginaw, Minn.), Jaxson Bennett (Sr., Saginaw, Minn.), Joey Connelly (Sr., Eden Prairie, Minn.), and Kyle Odenbach (Sr., Thompson, N.D.) on Senior Day Saturday, honoring the winningest class in program history.

Minnesota Crookston wraps up the series Sunday, April 26 against Winona State University at 12 p.m.