The University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagle Baseball team struggled in game one but bounced back in game two, losing 6-2 then winning 10-6 in Bemidji on Wednesday afternoon.
GAME ONE – FIRST INNING
UMC was retired in the top of the first in order, on two groundouts and a foulout.
In the bottom of the inning, BSU capitalized on opportunities. After a throwing error led off the inning, and after a flyout, Hunter Hyden crushed a two-run home run, making it 2-0 Beavers. Noah Drusch then followed with a single, and he would be driven in by Matt Filippi, putting BSU up 3-0. They would add more with two outs; Joe Hansen singled in Filippi to make it 4-0, would advance to second on a throwing error, and then would score on another error, making it 5-0 Beavers before a groundout mercifully ended the inning for the Golden Eagles.
SECOND INNING
After two quick outs in the top of the second inning, Jackson Fliflet (Soph, Wahpeton, ND) delivered the first run of the game for UMC with a mammoth solo shot to dead center field, cutting the lead to 5-1. The Golden Eagles then got a buny single from Connor Bushbaum (Sr., Saginaw) before a flyout ended the inning.
After a very rough first inning, Nate Heymann (Jr., Waimea, HI) began to settle in, only allowing a one-out walk to Beau Thoma, who was caught stealing by Fliflet to end the inning.
THIRD INNING
In the third, UMC got into their best scoring position of the game so far. With one out, back-to-back walks followed by an infield hit from Aaron Wensloff (Jr., Roseau) loaded the bases. However, BSU starter Beau Barry buckled down, getting a strikeout and a flyout to end the threat, keeping UMC off the board.
The Beavers were retired in order in the bottom of the third on two groundouts and a flyout.
FOURTH INNING
UMC got a two-out single from Caden Kappes (Jr., Wahpeton) in the fourth inning, but the other three batters in the inning struck out.
The Beavers were once again set down in order in the home half of the fourth, on two groundouts and a flyout.
FIFTH INNING
Both teams were set down in order in the fifth inning.
SIXTH INNING
UMC finally got their bats more awake in the sixth inning, getting three straight singles to load the bases with nobody out, chasing Beau Barry out of the game. Castle Huggard came in for the Beavers, and he forced Bushbaum to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, scoring a run to cut the lead to 5-2. That would be all the Golden Eagles would get, as another groundout ended the threat.
With one out in the bottom of the inning, the Beavers put the nail in the coffin of this game as Matt Filippi delivered a solo home run to the opposite field to restore the four-run advantage at 6-2. BSU also got a double in the inning, but the Golden Eagle bullpen got out of the inning with no more runs crossing the plate.
SEVENTH INNING
UMC started the 7th inning with a leadoff walk, but yet another double play induced by Huggard deflated any momentum, and a strikeout would then follow, ending the game with the Beavers winning 6-2.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
| UMC | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 |
| BSU | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 6 | 6 | 0 |
For UMC-
Jackson Fliflet – 2 for 3, HR
Connor Bushbaum – 1 for 3, RBI, SB
Americo Sculati – 1 for 3, R
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
| Nate Heymann – UMC (LP) | 5.2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Ashton Detloff – UMC | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Beau Barry – BSU (WP) | 5 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| Castle Huggard – BSU | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
GAME TWO –
FIRST INNING-
UMC looked to get off to a better start in the second game, and they got a one-out single from Elias Leach (Fr., Plymouth), who also stole second on the very next pitch. However, he was left stranded, as a strikeout and groundout ended the inning.
In the bottom of the inning, the Beavers got a couple of walks at the beginning, but Kyle Odenbach (Sr., Thompson, ND) got out of the inning, getting a caught stealing and inducing two consecutive flyouts to end the inning.
SECOND INNING
After two quick outs, UMC struck first, as Caden Kappes crushed his first home run of the year, giving the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead. Another ball nearly left the yard, but a long flyout ended the inning after that.
Odenbach got two quick outs in the bottom of the second inning, before a walk to Joe Hansen and a single to Carter Anderson put two runners on. However, Odenbach got a big strikeout, ending the threat with no runs across.
THIRD INNING
With one out in the top of the third, a hit batter put a runner on base, and Leach would cash in, driving in a run with an RBI double to put UMC up 2-0. Leach would then get aggressive and steal third base, but would unfortunately be left stranded there as back-to-back strikeouts ended the frame.
Odenbach got two quick flyouts, but after this, BSU rattled off three straight hits, including RBIs from Drusch and Matt Filippi which tied the game at two. Then, heads-up baserunning on a fielding error resulting in a rundown allowed Filippi to score before the third out was recorded, giving BSU a 3-2 lead at the end of the inning.
FOURTH INNING
The fourth started with back-to-back walks, leading to Kappes dropping a sacrifice bunt to move the runners into scoring position. Then, with two outs, Kyler Miller drove in those two runs with a base hit, putting UMC back in front 4-3. A walk would follow, but a flyout would then end the inning.
After BSU started the bottom of the inning with a leadoff triple from Cooper Anderson, the Golden Eagles made a pitcher and catcher change. This led to a walk followed by a three-run home run from Beau Thoma, vaulting the Beavers back in front with a 6-4 lead. A groundout and strikeout would then end the frame.
FIFTH INNING
To start the fifth, the Golden Eagles recorded consecutive singles from Americo Sculati (Sr., Golden Valley) and new catcher Reese Berberich (Soph., Thompson, ND). After a strikeout, a sacrifice fly would cut the lead to one at 6-5, which would stand at the end of the inning.
The Beavers got a leadoff single from Matt Filippi but three quick outs after that ended the inning.
SIXTH INNING
The Golden Eagles got a two-out walk but were otherwise set down on three outs that never left the infield.
The home half of the inning saw the Beavers get the bases loaded on two singles and a hit by pitch, but clutch pitching from the Golden Eagles saw BSU come up empty in the inning, keeping the score at 6-5.
SEVENTH INNING
Sculati led off the seventh inning with yet another hit, but three flyouts after that ended the inning with another zero on the scoreboard.
Nash Rubins led off the bottom of the inning with a double down the right field line, then advanced to third on a groundout. Yet again, though, fabulous clutch pitching got the Golden Eagles out of it with the score still at 6-5 Beavers headed into the eighth.
EIGHTH INNING
Caden Kappes continued his great day of production by getting on via a hit by pitch, then stealing second. He would be driven in for a game-tying single, knotting things up at six. BSU then changed pitchers, and Cole Smith got two flyouts and a strikeout to end the top of the inning with a 6-6 score.
The Beavers were retired in order in the bottom of the eighth on two lineouts and a flyout.
NINTH INNING
In the ninth, things finally turned brighter for the Golden Eagles. Sculati reached on an error, Bushbaum singled and Wensloff walked to load the bases with nobody out. The Beavers tried the same pitching change strategy, but after a strikeout, the wonderful day of Caden Kappes continued with a go-ahead two run single, putting UMC up 8-6. with two outs, the bases were loaded again, and this time Tori Uhlich stepped up to drive in two more runs, giving the Golden Eagles a 10-6 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.
The Beavers were retired 1-2-3 in the ninth, giving the Golden Eagles a much needed 10-6 victory.
UMC is now 23-18 on the year, 16-13 in the NSIC.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
| UMC | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 2 |
| BSU | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 11 | 3 |
For UMC-
Caleb Kappes – 2 for 3, HR, 3 RBI
Elias Leach – 2 for 6, RBI
Americo Sculati – 2 for 5, 2B
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
| Kyle Odenbach -UMC | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Lake Hagen – UMC | 2.1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Kaylor Chamberlain – UMC | 0.1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Jaroszewski – UMC | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaac Roers – UMC (WP) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Isaac Wensloff – UMC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Quentin Selway -BSU | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Andrew Murphy – BSU | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Connor Donlin – BSU | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Smith – BSU (LP) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Jack Barnett – BSU | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
