Jackson Fliflet (left) and Caden Kappes (right)
Former Wahpeton American Legion Baseball standouts Jackson Fliflet and Caden Kappes helped University of Minnesota Crookston stay alive in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament.
The Golden Eagles defeated Wayne State, 4-2, keeping them in postseason contention Thursday after a 21-4 loss to Augustana Wednesday.
In Thursday’s win, Fliflet crushed his 19th home run of the season. The redshirt sophomore batted 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run, accounting for all of his team’s scoring. Fliflet’s two-run single in the third opened the scoring, and his sixth-inning homer gave Crookston a 3-1 advantage.
Wayne State made it a 3-2 game in the seventh when Braden Cannon lifted a homer to left field. Crookston answered with a solo shot from Americo Sculati in the eighth.
Kappes, a middle infielder for the bulk of his career, made his presence felt defensively at third base. The junior played error-free baseball, recording two assists and three putouts at the hot corner. Kappes, who entered the tournament with a .292 batting average, went 1-for-4 at the plate.
Isaac Roers was lights out on the mound. The Golden Eagles pitcher tossed a complete game, working around seven hits and striking out seven. He did not issue a walk while improving to 5-1 on the bump.
Minnesota Crookston (27-24) is slated to play either Minnesota State or Winona State at 7 p.m. Thursday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
