The University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC) Golden Eagles Baseball team picked  up two big wins over the Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks 3-2 and 8-4 in a Northern Sun Conference doubleheader played in Mankato.
GAME ONE
FIRST INNING –
IN a game that took less than two hours to play (1:52 to be exact) with a great old-fashioned pitchers dual, there weren’t a lot of offensive highlights. UMC started the game going down in 1-2-3 fashion. Mankato struck in the bottom of the inning with a single and the base runner advanced to second base on a passed ball. The next batter lined out, and UMC turned a double play, which turned out to be huge because the next Maverick batter hit a solo home run for a 1-0 lead.
SECOND INNING
UMC was retired in 1-2-3 fashion in the second inning. Mankato hit another solo home run for a 2-0 lead after two innings of play.
THIRD INNING
UMC’s Danny Wensloff (Sr. Roseau) reached on a walk to become the first Golden Eagle baserunner. After the next two batters were retired, Wenlsoff stole second base. Sawyer Satrom (Soph. Portland, ND) singled, and the left fielder committed an error that allowed Wensloff to score to bring UMC within a 2-1 deficit. UMC pitcher Jake Osowsnki (Sr. East Grand Forks) settled in and retired the Mavericks in 1-2-3 fashion.
FOURTH INNING
UMC was retired in 1-2-3 fashion in the top of the inning. Mankato had a one-out double. The next batter grounded out before a Maverick batter was hit by a pitch. Osowski got a big fly out to end the inning, and the Mavericks led 2-1.Â
FIFTH INNING
With one out, UMC’s Wensloff walked for the second time in the game. Mitch Goodwin singled before a Golden Eagle strikeout. Satrom walked to load the bases before Caden Headlee singled to score two runs to give UMC a 3-2 lead. The first two Maverick batters were retired before a single and a walk. The next batter fouled out and UMC took a 3-2 lead into the sixth inning.
SIXTH INNING
UMC was retired in 1-2-3 fashion in the the top of the inning. Mankato’s first two batters were retired in the bottom of the inning before they hit a triple. Osowski got a big strikeout to end the inning, and UMC led 3-2.Â
SEVENTH INNING
Danny Wensloff singled to start the inning, but was caught stealing at second base. The next two batters were retired. As you would expect, Mankato didn’t go down without a fight. The leadoff batter walked. The next batter grounded out before another Maverick reached as he was hit by a pitch. UMC elected to bring in Noah Grafsgaard to pitch and pick up the save. The first batter he faced flew out to right field. The next batter walked to load the bases, but Grafsgaard got the next batter to ground out, and UMC picked up a big 3-2 victory.
CLICK HERE for the Box Score
| Box Score | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| UMC | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 |
| Mankato | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
UMC offensive leaders-
Danny Wensloff – 1 for 1, 2 walks, 2 runs
Sawyer Satrom – 1 for 2, rbi, walk
Caden Headlee – 1 for 3, 2 rbi
Mitch Goodwin – 1 for 3, run
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
| Jake Osowski- UMC (W) | 6.1 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Nate Grafsgaard – UMC (S) | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Sam George – MSU (L) | 5.0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Sean Gamele – MSU | 2.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
GAME TWO –
FIRST INNING
UMC’s Satrom started the game off with a walk and Headlee singled. The next two batters were retired before Teddy Giefer walked to load the bases. The next batter flew out, but it was a great sign of things to come for UMC. The Golden Eagle pitcher Jake Dykhoff (Soph, Wadena) had some control problems to start the game as he hit the first two batters. He retired the next two batters before walking the bases loaded. Dykhoff struck out the next batter and got out of the jam with the game scoreless after the first inning.
SECOND INNING
UMC’s Danny Wensloff started the inning with a walk. Goodwin reached on an error before a strikeout and double play to retire the Golden Eagles. Mankato’s first two batters struck out before a single and a hit to right field, but the runner was out at second base, and the game was scoreless after two innings.
THIRD INNING
UMC’s Headlee started off the third inning with a solo home run to give the Golden Eagles a 1-0 lead. After a strikeout, Jake Hjelle (Sr. East Grand Forks) singled and stole second base. Giefer walked, and Cole Hebl doubled to score another run for a 2-0 lead. The next at-bat was the biggest of the game as Danny Wensloff hammered a shot over the left field fence for a three-run home run to give UMC a 5-0 lead. After an out, Kobe Senn doubled and Satrom singled to score a run for a 6-0 lead. In the bottom of the inning, the Mavericks had a one-out single before the next batter grounded into a double play, and UMC led 6-0.
FOURTH INNING
UMC’s Hjelle reached on an error. The next two batters flew out, but a run scored on the second flyout for a 7-0 lead. Wensloff walked. The next batter struck out to retire UMC. The Mavericks responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning with three singles, a double, a single, and a sacrifice fly to get within a 7-4 deficit.Â
FIFTH INNING
Both teams were retired in 1-2-3 fashion in the inning.
SIXTH INNING
Both teams were retired in 1-2-3 fashion in the sixth inning too.
SEVENTH INNING
UMC’s Hebl and Danny Wensloff singled. After an out, Senn reached on a fielder’s choice that allowed a run to score and UMC led 8-4. Mankato’s first two batters in the bottom of the inning were retired before a single and a walk. The next batter popped out.
EIGHTH INNING
The first two UMC batters were retired before Hjelle doubled, but the next batter was retired. Mankato’s first two batters were retired before a walk. The next batter flew out and UMC took an 8-4 lead into the ninth inning.
NINTH INNING
UMC’s first batter flew out before Danny Wensloff was hit by a pitch. The next two batters flew out and UMC led 8-4 going into the bottom of the ninth. Mankato was retired in 1-2-3 fashion in the bottom of the inning and UMC held on for an 8-4 victory to complete the sweep of the doubleheader.Â
UMC improves to 25-12 on the year and 19-8 in NSIC play and will wrap up the three-game series with one more game in Mankato on Sunday. UMC is in third place in the NSIC standings, only one-half game behind MSU-Mankato. The Mavericks drop to 24-14 on the year and 20-8 in the NSIC.
CLICK HERE for the box score
| Game 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| UMC | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 0 |
| Mankato | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
For UMC-
Caden Headlee – 3 for 5, run, rbi, homer
Danny Wensloff – 2 for 2, 3 rbi, 2 walks, run
Cole Hebl – 2 for 4, 2 runs, 2 rbi
Jake Hjelle – 2 for 5, 2 runs
| Pitching | IP | H | R | ER | BB | K |
| Jake Dykhoff – UMC (W) Max Weber – UMC |
5.0 3.0 |
8 1 |
4 0 |
4 0 |
1 2 |
5 4 |
| Haugen – MSU (L) Lilledahl – MSU |
2.1 0.1 |
5 3 |
5 1 |
5 1 |
4 0 |
3 0 |
| Tahiro – MSU Shumski – MSU |
1.1 1.0 |
0 0 |
1 0 |
0 0 |
1 0 |
1 1 |
| Stade – MSU | 4.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
