UMC BASEBALL SWEEPS BEMIDJI STATE IN DOUBLEHEADER

The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) baseball team won a pair of crucial games over Bemidji State in an NSIC doubleheader played at the Bemidji State Baseball Field.

GAME ONE –
With runners on first and second base with two outs in the bottom of the first inning the Beavers struck first with a single up the middle followed by an error in center field plating Bemidji State’s first run of the game giving the hosts a 1-0 lead. The Beavers added to their lead in the bottom of the third inning capitalizing off of a pair of singles to start the inning. With runners on first and second base, a third straight single, this one hit to center field, plated Bemidji State’s second run of the game pushing the hosts ahead 2-0 after three innings.
Minnesota Crookston appeared poised to trim their deficit in the fourth inning, but a fly out to center field left the bases loaded and UMC without a run heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. In the top of the fifth inning, Bryce Jorgenson (Jr., Thunder Bay Ontario) led off a Minnesota Crookston rally with a single before a Reed Hjelle (Sr., East Grand Forks) walk put runners on first and second base for Brock Reller (Soph., Grand Forks, ND). In the top of the sixth inning, the Golden Eagles started the inning with back to back single before Griffin Fussy (R-Soph., Ham Lake) drove a double to right-center field scoring both runners and giving Minnesota Crookston a 5-2 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. Mason Ruhlman (Jr., Algonac, MI) added an RBI single to right field in the top of the seventh for an insurance run pushing Minnesota Crookston’s lead to 6-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. Bemidji State plated two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning but the Golden Eagles escaped with the tying run at the plate for Bemidji State to close out a 6-4 win in game one.

For UMC
Brock Reller – 4-4, 3 RBI, 2 runs, HR
Griffin Fussy – 2-4, 2 RBI
Mason Ruhlman – 2-4, RBI, double

GAME TWO –
In the top of the first inning, Reed Hjelle (Sr., East Grand Forks) extended the opening frame with a two-out single to right center field before Brock Reller (Soph., Grand Forks, ND) tripled to right center field scoring Hjelle and giving Minnesota Crookston a 1-0 lead heading into the bottom of the first inning. Bemidji State evened the score with an RBI double into center field tying the score at 1-1 after one inning. Bemidji State took its first lead of game two in the bottom of the second inning after an error at shortstop allowed a Beavers’ runner to score from second base pushing the hosts ahead 2-1 after two innings. Following a double play to start the top of the third inning, Reed Hjelle walked before Brock Reller singled to put runners on first and second. Jonathan Lund (Sr., Tolna, ND) followed with a single to center field scoring Hjelle and tying the game at 2-2 into the bottom of the third inning.
In the top of the fourth inning, Bobby Chu (Jr., Redwood City, CA) doubled down the left field line to start a rally before Scott Finberg (Jr., Stillwater) doubled to left field putting runners on second and third base. Landyn Swenson (Jr., Devils Lake, ND) singled to score both runners in scoring position giving UMC a 4-2 lead. Bryce Jorgen (Jr., Thunder Bay, Ontario) singled up the middle continuing the rally and pushing Minnesota Crookston’s lead to 5-2 before Reed Hjelle drove Jorgenson in with a single to center field making it 6-2.
The Golden Eagles added one more run in the top of the fourth inning following a Travis Conoryea (R-Soph., Inver Grove Heights) RBI single giving Minnesota Crookston a 7-2 lead after four innings.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, the Beavers scraped one run back with an RBI single to right field pulling the hosts within 7-3 into the sixth inning. Bemidji State added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning with a sacrifice fly hit to right field bringing the Beavers within 7-4 after six innings.
A leadoff double hit by Bryce Jorgenson to lead of the eighth inning followed by a pair of walks loaded the bases before a wild pitch plated Jorgenson from third base giving Minnesota Crookston an 8-4 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning. Bemidji State plated their fifth run with an RBI single to pull within 8-5 going into the ninth inning. Dalton Grose (R-Soph., Waterville) closed out the game for UMC in the ninth inning, not allowing a base runner to secure the 8-5 win.

Minnesota Crookston improves to 23-18 overall and 16-11 in NSIC play. The Golden Eagles wrap up their four-game series with Bemidji State on Saturday beginning at Noon. Bemidji State falls to 6-32 overall and 5-21 in conference action.

For UMC
Brock Reller – 3-3, RBI, triple
Reed Hjelle – 2-3, 3 runs, RBI, 2 walks
Bryce Jorgenson – 3-5, 2 runs, RBI, double
Landyn Swenson – 2-5, 2 runs, RBI