The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Baseball team completed a three-game weekend sweep of the Winona State Warriors with a come-from-behind 14-9 victory on Sunday afternoon in a Northern Sun Conference game played in Winona.
UMC got off to a good start with two runs in the top of the first inning. Ben Bryant (Soph. Fargo, ND) led off the game with a walk. Will Zimmerman (Sr. Park River, ND) was hit by a pitch. After a strikeout, Brock Reller (Soph. Grand Forks, ND) flew out to right field, but the runners advanced to second and third with two outs. Scott Finberg (Sr. Stillwater) singled to left field to score two runs to give the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead.
Winona State answered with a rbi single in the bottom of the first inning to cut UMC’s lead to 2-1 after the first inning.
Neither team scored in the second inning, but UMC’s Mason Ruhlman (Sr. Algonac, Mich) hit a solo home run over the right-center field fence for a 3-1 lead. Winona State answered with a run on a rbi triple to get within a 3-2 deficit after three innings.
UMC took advantage of Winona State’s pitching control problems by scoring four runs on one hit in the top of the fourth inning. Jake Hjelle (Fresh. East Grand Forks) led off the inning with a walk. After a strikeout, Hjelle stole second base. After another UMC strikeout, Hjelle stole third base. Landyn Swenson (Sr. Devils Lake, ND) walked and stole second base. On a wild pitch, Hjelle scored. Bryant walked for the second time in the game and advanced to second on a wild pitch. There was another wild pitch and Swenson scored the second run of the inning. Zimmerman walked before Ruhlman doubled to score two more runs for a 7-2 lead.
Winona State scored two runs in the bottom of the inning with a double and a ground out to get within a 7-4 deficit after four innings.
The Golden Eagles started the top of the fifth inning with a Finberg homerun. Hjelle followed with a single and after two UMC strikeouts, Swenson and Bryant walked to load the bases. Zimmerman was hit by a pitch to score a run and the Golden Eagles took a 9-4 lead.
Winona State answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two rbi single to get within a 9-6 deficit after five innings.
Winona State tied the game in the sixth inning with a two rbi triple, and a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 9-9.
How would UMC respond in the top of the seventh inning? Like they have in all six games this season, they answered with a big inning. Swenson led off with a walk and after two strikeouts, Ruhlman singled to score Swenson to regain the lead (10-9). Reller walked and Finberg doubled to score two runs and Hjelle doubled to score a run for a 13-9 lead.
UMC added an insurance run in the top of the ninth inning. once again taking advantage of the poor control of the Winona State pitchers. Ruhlman walked, and his pinch runner scored on a Finberg sacrifice fly for a 14-9 lead. Winona State didn’t score in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Golden Eagles held on for a 14-9 victory to complete the weekend sweep.
UMC improves to 3-0 in Northern Sun Conference play and 7-0 overall and will travel to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to play the University of Sioux Falls in a doubleheader on Wednesday. Winona State drops to 0-3 in the NSIC and 3-5 overall.
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