ST. CLOUD, Minn. - The University of Minnesota Crookston used strong pitching Wednesday, April 8 to earn a mid-week split with St. Cloud State University at Joe Faber Field. The Golden Eagles fell 3-2 in the first game, but responded with a 5-2 victory over the Huskies in the second tilt.

Minnesota Crookston is 20-12 (13-7 NSIC) after Wednesday's split, while St. Cloud State is 16-15 (12-6 NSIC). The Golden Eagles are 6-2 in their last eight games with the Huskies. The games were relocated to St. Cloud due to inclement weather in Crookston for the mid-week doubleheader. The Golden Eagles reached 20 wins for the ninth time in the last 11 seasons.

Game One
Nick Ibrahim hit a two-run double in the top of the sixth to score Eric Bello and Wilmis Castro to send the Huskies to a 3-2 comeback win over Minnesota Crookston. 

Kyle Odenbach (Sr., LHP, Thompson, N.D.) started and tossed 5.1 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits. Odenbach struck out four, and walked three. Isaac Roers (R-Sr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) came out of the bullpen, shutting out the Huskies on two hits with one strikeout in 1.2 innings.

Bryce Brassfield improved to 3-3 for St. Cloud State, pitching the complete game. He allowed two runs on six hits. Brassfield struck out 11, and walked two for the Huskies.

Minnesota Crookston had six hits led by Connor Bushbaum (R-Sr., OF, Saginaw, Minn.), who went 2-of-3. Jackson Fliflet (R-So., C, Wahpeton, N.D.) hit 1-of-3, with an RBI and a run scored. Cole Hebl (R-So., 1B, Hillsboro, N.D.) finished 1-of-3, with an RBI.

St. Cloud State broke through in Wednesday's game one pitcher's dual as Ryan Cahoon scored on a Castro fielder's choice to take a 1-0 lead.

Minnesota Crookston countered in the bottom of the fourth commencing with a Fliflet double to center field, driving in Aaron Wensloff (Jr., IF, Roseau, Minn.) to knot the score 1-1. Fliflet crossed the plate on a Hebl base-knock to right field to give the Golden Eagles a 2-1 advantage.

The Huskies tilted the lead in their favor in the top of the sixth with Ibrahim's double down the line to plate Bello and Castro to give St. Cloud State a 3-2 lead.

Minnesota Crookston put two on with two out in the bottom of the seventh, but Brassfield struck out Wensloff to close out the game with a 3-2 Huskies win.

Game Two

Nate Heymann (Jr., RHP, Waimea, Hawai'i) had a stand-out performance on the mound in game two, as the Golden Eagles picked up the mid-week split with a 5-2 win over the Huskies. Heymann improved to 4-1 as he moved to second on the team in wins.

Hebl propelled the Golden Eagles going 2-of-4, with two RBI and a run scored. Isaac Wensloff (Sr., RHP, Roseau, Minn.) picked up his first save of the season, tossing a scoreless 1.2 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out three with no walks. Kaylor Chamberlain (So., RHP, Mankato, Minn.) continued to be a stopper out of the bullpen, pitching a scoreless 1.1 innings. 

In addition to Hebl, Uhlich went 2-of-5 with one run scored from his leadoff spot. Fliflet finished 1-of-2 with an RBI. Kyler Miller (So., SS, Grand Rapids, Minn.) went 1-of-3 with an RBI.

The loss for St. Cloud State went to Kahler Kay, who allowed two earned runs on five hits in four innings. He struck out five, and walked three.

The Golden Eagles took a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the first as fellow Wahpeton natives supported each other, with Fliflet driving in Uhlich on a sacrifice fly. 

The Huskies evened the tally 1-1 in the second with a Max Robinson sacrifice fly, scoring Wyatt Tweet.

Minnesota Crookston took a 2-1 edge in the second with a Miller double to score Aaron Wensloff.

St. Cloud State knotted the game 2-2 in the fourth with a solo shot from Castro.

Minnesota Crookston came through in their half of the fourth with a Hebl double to plate Caden Kappes (Jr., 2B/SS, Wahpeton, N.D.) to give the Golden Eagles a 3-2 advantage. An Elias Leach (Fr., OF, Plymouth, Minn.) infield fly scored Hebl on an error to extend the lead to 4-2.

The Golden Eagles scored their final run of the second game with a Hebl double to drive in Kappes to extend the lead to 5-2, the final tally of the afternoon.

Minnesota Crookston is slated to return home to host the University of Sioux Falls in Crookston, Minn., for a three-game series April 11 and 12.