Baseball | 4/3/2026 8:34:00 PM
MADISON, Wis. - The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team extended their winning streak to eight games with 4-3 and 17-7 wins over the University of Minnesota Duluth Friday, April 3 at the Duck Pond at Warner Park in Madison, Wis. The Golden Eagles have their longest winning streak since a nine-game winning streak April 24-May 4, 2024.
Minnesota Crookston improved their record to 19-10 (12-5 NSIC) with the Friday sweep in Wisconsin. The Golden Eagles moved into third place in the NSIC standings with Friday's wins. Minnesota Duluth dropped to 8-23 (6-13 NSIC) with the Friday sweep.
Game One
The Golden Eagles were lifted by the fourth-straight productive outing on the mound from Isaac Wensloff (Sr., RHP, Roseau, Minn.), who improved to 5-1 with Friday's game one victory. Isaac Wensloff tossed a complete game, allowing just three runs on five hits. He struck out four, and walked two. Wensloff has a 4.74 ERA in 38 innings pitched as a senior.
Minnesota Crookston's bats finished with seven hits led by Jackson Fliflet's team-high 11th home run of the season, along with Kyler Miller's (So., SS, Grand Rapids, Minn.) second of the season, as he returned from injury Friday. Fliflet went 2-of-3, with one RBI and two runs scored. Miller was 2-of-3, with two RBI and a run scored. Cole Hebl (R-So., 1B, Hillsboro, N.D.) hit 1-of-3, with a run scored.
The loss for Minnesota Duluth went to Henry Wilkinson, who allowed four runs on seven hits in seven frames. He struck out six, and posted zero walks.
The Golden Eagles took an early 1-0 advantage in the top of the second with a Caden Kappes (Jr., 2B/SS, Wahpeton, N.D.) sacrifice fly to plate Fliflet. Minnesota Crookston extended the lead to 2-0 with a Miller single, driving in Hebl.
The Bulldogs trimmed the deficit to 2-1 with a Gabe Richardson single, scoring Michael Gabbard in the bottom of the third.
The Golden Eagles got the run back in the top of the fourth with Fliflet's 11th home run of the campaign, a solo shot to push the lead to 3-1.
Minnesota Duluth tied up the game 3-3 with a Henry Bushey two-run shot, scoring Logan Myers in the bottom of the fourth.
Minnesota Crookston obtained the go ahead run in the form of Miller's second home run of the season, ultimately winning 4-3.
Game Two
The Golden Eagles had an explosive game two from the plate with 17 runs on 16 hits including three doubles and Connor Bushbaum's (R-Sr., OF, Saginaw, Minn.) second home run of the season. Miller continued a strong day, going 4-of-4 with four RBI and three runs scored. Bushbaum went 3-of-4 with two RBI and four runs scored. Aaron Wensloff (Jr., IF, Roseau, Minn.) went 4-of-4, with an RBI and two runs scored. Hebl finished 2-of-5 with one RBI and two runs scored.
Isaac Roers (R-Sr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.), started and ossed 5.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits. Roers struck out three and walked three. Roers has a 5.97 ERA as a redshirt senior. He has put together six-straight outings allowing less than four runs. Nate Heymann (Jr., RHP, Waimea, Hawai'i) threw 2.1 scoreless innings of relief, with just one hit and two strikeouts. He picked the win to improve to 3-1. Jake Jaroszewski (So., LHP, Fargo, N.D.) allowed three runs on one hit and five walks in 0.2 innings, while Eli Denisen (R-Jr., LHP, Winona, Minn.) tossed a scoreless 0.1 innings.
The loss went to Caden Klebba, allowing four earned runs on five hits in three frames.
Minnesota Duluth broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the third with a Kliber single to center field, driving in Thomas Hanson to make it 1-0.
The Golden Eagles knotted the game 1-1 with Bushbaum's round-tripper in the top of the fourth. With two outs later in the fourth, Miller crossed home on a wild pitch to give Minnesota Crookston a 2-1 advantage.
The Bulldogs bounded the game 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth when Troy Leach scored on a throwdown to second to try to toss out Garrett Staffaucher.
Minnesota Crookston edged the Bulldogs 3-2 in the top of the fifth with a Miller single, plating Bushbaum.
The Bulldogs bounced back in the bottom of the sixth as Lynch scored when Hanson reached on an error to knot it 3-3. Myers scored on a wild pitch to tilt the game in the favor of UMD 4-3.
The Golden Eagles struck back in the top of the seventh. Kappes used a sacrifice fly to drive in Hebl to tie it 4-4. U of M Crookston gained a 5-4 edge when Bushbaum scored on a Miller single. The final tally of the inning made it 6-4 when Aaron Wensloff singled in Miller.
Minnesota Crookston broke the game open with 11 runs in the top of the ninth. With the bases loaded, Americo Sculati (R-Sr., OF, Golden Valley, Minn.) walked to bring in Miller to give the Golden Eagles a 7-4 lead. Tori Uhlich (Jr., OF, Wahpeton, N.D.) crossed on a wild pitch to extend the advantage to 8-4. With the bases still juiced, Hebl walked to plate Aaron Wensloff and widened the gap to 9-4. The walk struggles continued as Bushbaum walked to drive in Sculati and push the lead to 10-4. Kappes walked to plate Fliflet and extend the advantage to 11-4. Minnesota Crookston broke it open even further with a Miller single to drive in Hebl, and Bushbaum to extend the lead to 13-4. Kappes scored on an Elias Leach (Fr., OF, Plymouth, Minn.) sacrifice fly to give the Golden Eagles a 14-4 edge. The Bulldogs walked in their fifth run of the inning as Sculati was walked, plating Thomas Schumacher (Fr., IF, Thompson, N.D.). A stamp was put on the frame with a Fliflet double, to drive in Jonah Norman (R-Jr., C, Winnipeg, Manitoba) and Aaron Wensloff to give the Golden Eagles a 17-4 lead.
The Bulldogs tried to overcome the 13-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth. A Lynch single drove in Kliber to cut the Golden Eagle lead to 17-5. Nikhil Kandi was walked with the bases loaded, plating Hayden Anthony to trim the deficit to 17-6. Bushey was then walked by Jaroszewski to score Richadson. Denisen came on to obtain the final out to preserve the 17-7 win.
Minnesota Crookston concludes their series with Minnesota Duluth Saturday, April 4 in Madison, Wis.
