The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Baseball team opened the season by beating up on rival Bemidji State with a 23-6 victory on a sunny, 63-degree day in Fort Scott, Kansas.
Bemidji State was the visiting team on the scoreboard and they scored the first run of the game after a double, walk, and a pass ball. UMC responded in a big way in the bottom of the first inning. Ben Bryant (Soph. Fargo, ND), Will Zimmerman (Sr. Park River, ND), and Mason Ruhlman (Sr. Algonac, Mich) led off the inning with back-to-back-to-back walks. Bryant scored on a wild pitch, Brock Reller (Jr. Grand Forks, ND) reached on an error and Zimmerman scored for a 2-1 lead. Scott Finberg doubled to score two runs for a 4-1 lead. The Golden Eagles scored another run on a balk for a 5-1 lead with only one hit through the first inning.
Bemidji State answered with two runs on two hits in the second inning to get within a 5-3 deficit. As they did all game long, UMC had an answer in the bottom of the inning. Ruhlman had a one-out double and scored on a Finberg single to take a 6-3 lead after two innings.
UMC added another run in the bottom of the third when Landyn Swenson (Sr. Devils Lake) hit a solo homerun to give the Golden Eagles a 7-3 lead.
UMC added another run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Bobby Chu (Sr. Redwood City, CA) doubled and Eli Jung (Jr. Dickinson, ND) singled to start the inning. Chu scored on a ground out and the Golden Eagles led 8-3 after five innings.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Ruhlman tripled and scored on a fly-out. Jake Hjelle (Fresh. East Grand Forks) and Chu walked. With bases loaded, Swenson doubled in three runs for a 12-3 Golden Eagle lead through six innings.
Bemidji State had a two rbi triple in the top of the seventh inning to get within a 12-5 deficit. UMC responded in the bottom of the sixth inning. Zimmerman singled, Ruhlman and Hjelle walked. Zimmerman scored on a passed ball, Chu singled to score two runs and Swenson singled to score another run for a 16-5 lead through seven innings.
Bemidji State added a run on a solo homerun in the eighth inning to get within a 16-6 deficit. Bemidji State made a pitching change to start the bottom of the eighth inning and that didn’t slow down the UMC bats as Zimmerman started the inning with a triple and scored on a ground out. And the Golden Eagle bats exploded with back-to-back solo home runs from Reller and TJ Hokanson (Jr. Chanhassen). Jack Peppel (Fresh. Olivia) was hit by a pitch and Trey Larimer (Fresh. Thompson, ND) hit a two-run homerun for a 21-6 lead. The inning continued with a Chad Musser (Jr. Plymouth) walked, Swenson singled and Parker Stroh (Fresh. Grand Forks, ND) singled in two more runs for a 23-6 lead.
Bemidji State was shut down in the top of the ninth inning and UMC won the season opener 23-6.
UMC had 21 hits and walked 12 times in the game. Landyn Swenson was 4 for 5 with 5 rbi’s and two runs. Will Zimmerman was 3 for 5 with three runs and one walk to lead the Golden Eagles. Joey Greco (Jr. Half Moon Bay, CA) picked up the win going 2.1 innings while giving up two runs on two hits.
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