BRANDON, S.D. – The University of Jamestown baseball team fell 11-6 and 16-4 to Minnesota-Crookston in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Aspen Park.

Game One Summary
Jamestown struck first, taking a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. After Jett Nelson singled and advanced to second on a throwing error, Ben Swennumson drove him in with an RBI single. Benney Benitez later added an RBI single to center field to score Swennumson.

UMC responded with five runs in the top of the third inning. Tori Uhlich and Elias Leach hit back-to-back RBI base hits, and Cole Hebl capped the inning with a three-run home run to right field to give the Golden Eagles a 5-2 advantage. UMC added another run in the fourth inning on an RBI groundout by Thomas Schumacher to make it 6-2.

The Jimmies cut into the deficit in the bottom of the fifth. Mathieu Morin doubled and Benitez walked, setting the stage for Adrian Warcken, who delivered a two-run single to right center, bringing the score to 6-4.

The Golden Eagles put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh inning. After Aaron Wensloff grounded into a double play that allowed a run to score, Jackson Fliflet launched a grand slam to center field, extending the UMC lead to 11-4.

Jamestown fought until the final out in the bottom of the seventh. Trayson Kostial singled to right field, and Reese Logsdon followed with a two-run home run to center field, finalizing the score at 11-6.

Top Performers

• Reese Logsdon (UJ): 1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Adrian Warcken (UJ): 1-for-4, 2 RBI
• Benney Benitez (UJ): 2-for-4, RBI, R
• Trayson Kostial (UJ): 2-for-4, R
• Jett Nelson (UJ): 2-for-4, R
• Jackson Fliflet (UMC): 2-for-3, HR, 4 RBI, 2 R
• Cole Hebl (UMC): 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R

Pitching Lines
Starter Nolan McCaffery (1-3) took the loss for Jamestown, allowing six runs (two earned) on eight hits over 3 1/3 innings. Ben Patton provided a strong relief appearance, throwing 2 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings. Beckett Stimpson, Kai Mayfield, and Isaac Rodriguez also saw action out of the bullpen.
Isaac Roers (1-0) earned the win for Minnesota-Crookston, striking out eight batters over four innings while allowing four earned runs on nine hits. Jake Jaroszewski and Lake Hagen closed out the final three innings in relief.
 
Game Two Summary
Minnesota-Crookston got on the board early in the top of the first inning when Aaron Wensloff hit a solo home run to right field. Jamestown quickly answered in the bottom of the frame. Mathieu Morin hit a leadoff double to center field, stole third, and scored on an RBI single to left field by Trayson Kostial to tie the game at 1-1.

The Golden Eagles regained control with a four-run second inning, highlighted by a two-run home run to left-center by Elias Leach. The Jimmies trimmed the deficit in the bottom of the third when Morin launched a solo home run to center field, making it 5-2.

Minnesota-Crookston broke the game open with a massive six-run fourth inning. The surge featured a two-run double by Wensloff, a two-run double by Americo Sculati, and RBI singles from Jackson Fliflet and Connor Bushbaum. The Golden Eagles added two more unearned runs in the fifth inning following a pair of errors to extend their lead to 13-2.

Jamestown showed life in the bottom of the fifth when Frankie Malagon blasted a two-run home run to left field, scoring pinch-runner Julian Romero, to cut the deficit to 13-4.

However, Minnesota-Crookston responded with three runs in the top of the seventh, capped by a two-run home run to left field by Fliflet to finalize the score at 16-4.

Top Performers

• Mathieu Morin (UJ): 2-for-3, HR, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB
• Frankie Malagon (UJ): 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, R
• Trayson Kostial (UJ): 2-for-3, RBI
• Americo Sculati (UMC): 4-for-5, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R
• Jackson Fliflet (UMC): 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 HBP
• Aaron Wensloff (UMC): 2-for-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB

Pitching Lines
Luke Zimmer (0-5) took the loss for Jamestown, pitching two innings and allowing five earned runs on four hits and one walk. The Jimmies utilized the bullpen heavily, with Elias Harris, Beckett Stimpson, Grayson Sargent, Karver Partlow, and Ryan Morales all seeing relief action.

Nate Benning (2-0) earned the win for Minnesota-Crookston, striking out seven batters over 4 2/3 innings while allowing four earned runs on six hits and three walks. Braden Nelson and Kyle Odenbach combined to pitch 2 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to seal the game.
 
Up Next
The Jimmies are on the road for a non-conference single nine-inning game against Bismarck State College on Wednesday, March 25 at 3 p.m.