CROOKSTON, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team dropped a doubleheader Wednesday, April 29 in their final home games of the season to Minot State University. The Golden Eagles fell 6-4 in the first game and 13-5 in game two to the Beavers.
Minnesota Crookston dropped to 25-21 (18-16 NSIC) with Tuesday's losses to the Beavers. Minot State improved to 24-22 (18-17 NSIC) with the wins. Minnesota Crookston is 4-3 in their last seven games with Minot State.
Game One
Minot State edged the Golden Eagles 6-4 in the first game, as reliever Thomas Mitchell earned the win. He pitched 2.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits. Tanner Groseclose started and gave up two runs on four hits in 3.2 frames. Ayden Sauerbrai earned his third save of the season, tossing a scoreless seventh.
Isaac Wensloff (Sr., Roseau, Minn.) fell to 6-3 after allowing three earned runs on nine hits in 6.2 innings. He struck out four, and walked one. Jake Jaroszewski (So., Fargo, ND) pitched a scoreless 0.1 frames with a strikeout.
The Golden Eagles had six hits led by Elias Leach (Fr., Plymouth, Minn.), who went 2-of-4 with an RBI and a run scored on his eighth home run of the season. Tori Uhlich (Jr., Wahpeton, ND) went 1-of-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Aaron Wensloff (Jr., Roseau, Minn.) had a home run, going 1-of-2 with an RBI and a run scored.Â
The Golden Eagles struggled with errors in the first stanza. Colton Bagshaw scored on a wild pitch to give the Beavers a 1-0 lead. Wyatt Toth hit a sacrifice fly to score Noah Madas to make it 2-0.
Minnesota Crookston trimmed the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the first as Uhlich scored on a wild pitch.
The Beavers pushed their lead to 3-1 in the third on a Bagshaw home run. A Toth single to plate Vinnie Gates made it 4-1.
The Golden Eagles took a run back in their half of the third on a Leach solo shot to cut it to 4-2.
Minnesota Crookston trimmed the deficit to 4-3 when Uhlich singled in Jackson Fliflet (So., Wahpeton, ND) to cut it to 4-3.
The Beavers took a run back in the fifth on a Cowen Meyer single to plate Madas to make it 5-3.
Aaron Wensloff's home run in the bottom of the fifth brought the deficit to 5-4. However, Minot State padded the lead and ultimately won 6-4 after a Jake Orthner single to drive in Toh in the sixth.
Game Two
The Beavers outscored the Golden Eagles 13-5 in game two led by three home runs.
Jacob Thompson started and obtained the win for Minot State after going six innings and allowing four runs on five hits. Conner Meldrim came on in relief and tossed three innings, allowing an unearned run on two hits.
Nate Heymann (Jr., Waimea, Hawaii) was tagged with the loss after giving up six runs on four hits and five strikeouts and five walks in 3.2 innings. Lake Hagen (Jr., Alexandria, Minn.) allowed two earned runs on four hits in 2.1 frames. Braden Nelson (R-Fr., Minot, ND) gave up one earned run on three hits in two innings. Derek Carpenter (R-Fr., Hatton, ND) allowed one earned run in 0.1 innings, while Jaxon Hams (Fr., Thief River Falls, Minn.) got the final two outs.
Fliflet knocked out his league-high 18th home run on 1-of-3 with two RBI and a run scored. Uhlich went 1-of-3 with two runs scored. Cole Hebl (R-So., Hillsboro, ND) went 1-of-4, with an RBI and a run scored. Caden Kappes (Jr., Wahpeton, ND) finished 2-of-4 with a run tallied.
Madas, Meyer, and Orthner all hit home runs for the Beavers. Minot State scored three in the third, four in the fourth, and four in the ninth to ignite the 13-5 win.
If the Golden Eagles can take one from Augustana this weekend, and avoid a St. Cloud State sweep of UMary they will make the NSIC Tournament for the fourth-straight year. If they lose all three, they can still make it in if St. Cloud State only wins one, and Minnesota Duluth is held to one win against Minnesota State.
Minnesota Crookston travels to Augustana Friday and Saturday in Sioux Falls, SD.Â
