Story by Shawn Smith (UMC Athletics)
The University of Minnesota Crookston baseball team put up a late rally in the final game of a three-game series against Southwest Minnesota State University but fell 10-9. The Golden Eagles scored six runs in the final three stanzas after trailing 9-3 going into the top of the seventh. UMN Crookston tied the game 9-9 in the ninth, but an Isaac Nett solo home run in the bottom of the ninth sent the Mustangs to victory.
Southwest Minnesota State picked up the series victory, taking 2-of-3 games. Minnesota Crookston dropped to 15-23 (7-12 NSIC) with Sunday’s loss at Legion Field in Marshall, Minn. The Mustangs improved to 10-24 (3-19 NSIC) with the win.
Jake Dykhoff (R-Jr., RHP, Wadena, Minn.) took the loss in relief, allowing one run, on one hit. Isaac Roers (Fr., RHP, Stacy, Minn.) started the game and went 0.1 innings, allowing three earned runs, on four hits. Matt Nelson (R-Jr., RHP, Afton, Minn.) went 3.1 innings, giving up one earned run, on four hits. Nelson struck out four and walked three. Jakob Wiirre (Jr., RHP, Mims, Fla.) had a strong relief outing, tossing 2.1 innings. Wiirre allowed no runs, on three hits. He struck out five and walked one. Brody Sorenson (So., RHP, Grand Forks, N.D.) also was effective in relief. He went one inning, allowing no runs, on one hit.
Ansen Dulas got the start for the Mustangs. He went six innings, allowing six runs, on seven hits. Dulas struck out seven and walked three. Kolby Kiser picked up the victory in relief, allowing no runs in 0.2 innings of work.
Minnesota Crookston had their bats going, with 11 hits for the game. Matt Nunn (Jr., C, Edina, Minn.) went 2-of-4, with two RBIs, and a run scored. Jake Hjelle (R-So., 3B/OF, East Grand Forks, Minn.) finished 2-of-5, with two RBIs, and a run scored. Brad Morris (R-Sr., OF, Auckland, New Zealand) went 3-of-4, with an RBI. Tyler Jochen (R-Sr., 2B/SS, San Jose, Calif.) went 2-of-4, with an RBI, and two runs scored.
Nett paced Southwest Minnesota State, hitting 3-of-4, with three RBIs, and three runs scored. Robbie Smith was 3-of-5 from his lead-off spot, with two runs scored. Jaxon Haase went 2-of-4, with an RBI, and two runs scored.
The Mustangs raced out to a 5-0 advantage in the bottom of the first. Nett opened the scoring with a double, driving in Smith. A Haase infield single plated Keenan Wenzel to extend the lead to 2-0. A Chase McDaniel double scored Nett, and Nick Brown to widen the gap to 4-0. A sacrifice fly by Peyton Nash plated Owen Latendresse to push the advantage to 5-0.
Southwest Minnesota State added two runs in the fourth. Nett opened up the inning with a solo shot to make it 6-0. A McDaniel grounder scored Haase to push the lead to 7-0.
The Golden Eagles got on the scoreboard in the fifth. Jochen singled through the right side, scoring Mitch Goodwin (R-So., SS, Prior Lake, Minn.) to cut the deficit to 7-1. A Morris doubles down the line plated Teddy Giefer (So., 1B, Courtland, Minn.) to trim the Mustang lead to 7-2. Jochen came in to score on a Nunn groundout to cut the deficit to 7-3.
Southwest Minnesota State widened their advantage to 9-3 in the fifth with a two-RBI single from Latendresse, scoring Haaase, and Smith.
Minnesota Crookston did not go away despite trailing by six runs. They came through for five runs in the seventh. Giefer opened up the big inning, crossing the plate on a wild pitch. Nunn then delivered a two-RBI double, scoring Jochen, and Giefer to cut into the lead 9-6. Minnesota Crookston came within one run with a swing of the bat, as Hjelle powered one over the fence in left-center, scoring himself, and Nunn and making it 9-8.
The Golden Eagles knotted the game at 9-9 when Matthew Thielen (So., SS, Wheaton, Minn.) scored on a wild pitch. The Mustangs didn’t leave it knotted for long, as Nett hit a lead-off home run in the bottom of the ninth off Dykhoff for the walk-off win for Southwest Minnesota State.
Minnesota Crookston returns to the ballpark Wednesday, April 27 as they are slated to face Minot State University in Minot, N.D. at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m.
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