Minnesota Crookston 8 Wayne State 7

            Despite two homers and a 4 for 5 day from senior third baseman Kyle Thompson, Wayne State College could not overcome an early 4-0 deficit as the Wildcats fell 8-7 to Minnesota Crookston Monday afternoon in the final of a three-game Northern Sun Conference baseball series played at Omaha Westside High School.  WSC drops to 9-7 on the year and 0-3 in NSIC play while UMC improves to 10-7 and 3-0 in league games.
            WSC fell behind 4-0 after two innings.  The 'Cats mounted rallies several times and got within one run of the Golden Eagles in the third, fourth and ninth innings before ending with the 8-7 loss.
            Minnesota Crookston scored one run in the first and three in the second for a 4-0 advantage. 
            WSC responded with a three-run third inning, cutting the deficit to 4-3.  Alex Logelin's RBI double down the left field line scored Brendan Madsen (throwing error) followed by a two-run homer from Kyle Thompson over the center field fence.
            The Golden Eagles came back with two runs in the top of the fourth grabbing a 6-3 lead, but WSC tallied two of their own runs in the bottom of the frame to get within 6-5.  Colin Chick doubled and later scored on a Jake Lorenzini double down the left field line for the first run while Madsen laced a single to left bringing home Lorenzini.
            UMC produced two runs in the seventh, giving the Golden Eagles an 8-5 lead.
            Wayne State cut the deficit to 8-6 in the eighth inning with Jake Lemar's single up the middle bringing home Bryce Bisenius (walk).
            The 'Cats closed the scoring with a two-out solo homer from Thompson, his second of the game, in the bottom of the ninth to make the final score 8-7.
            Wayne State held a 12-6 edge in hits over the Golden Eagles.  Thompson finished 4 for 5 with two homers and three RBI to pace the Wildcats.  Chick went 2 for 4 with a double and run scored.  Lorenzini and Logelin each doubled while Madsen, Hanson, Peyton Barnes and Lemar added singles.
            Sophomore starter Aaron Ras (1-1) suffered the pitching loss, allowing four runs in two innings of work with four walks and three strikeouts.  Junior Lawson Zenner pitched three innings of relief, notching six strikeouts while giving up two runs and two hits.  Junior Mitch Gullikson worked the next two innings, giving up one hit and two runs while senior Charles Hasty closed the game with two strong innings, retiring all six batters that included two strikeouts.
            The Wildcats are scheduled to host Bemidji State in a Northern Sun Conference doubleheader on Thursday (March 21) with a location and time yet to be announced because of field availability and wet field conditions in Wayne.