WHITEWATER, Wis. – Senior Ben Gerber (Stoughton, Wis./Stoughton) stole a pair of bases, setting the single season school record, and scored following each steal to help the UW-Stevens Point baseball team (22-18) past UW-Oshkosh (22-20) in an elimination game at the WIAC Championship (presented by Culver's).  The Pointers scored six times in the eighth inning to erase a three-run deficit and win, 7-4.  In the first game of the day, UWSP fell to UW-La Crosse, 3-0.
 
Sophomore Ryan Stanicek (Loves Park, Ill./Boylan Catholic) had three hits on the day.  He drove in two and scored a run in the pivotal eighth inning.  Fellow sophomore Kyle Mrozinski (Ashwaubenon, Wis./Ashwaubenon) had a hit in each game and also scored in the big eighth inning rally.
 
Senior Clint Rose (Watertown, Wis./Watertown) had three hits in game two and drew a walk in the opener.  He drove in a run and scored another.
 
Game 1 – UWSP 0, UWL 3
In the top of the first, Mrozinski ripped a triple to right with two away.  He was stranded there to end the inning.
 
John Popham (Waupaca, Wis./Waupaca ) reached on a UWL error to begin the second.  He moved to second on a sac bunt by Rose and to third on a groundout.  Again, the Pointers left a runner at third to end the inning.
 
The Eagles turned a leadoff single in the bottom of the second into a two-run inning.  A hit batter and a walk loaded the bases before a two-run single put UWL in front.
 
Tyler Thomka (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) led off the third with a base hit.  He was replaced at first by Gerber on a fielder's choice.  Gerber promptly stole second, his 29th steal of the year, tying the single season school record. 
 
UWSP got runners on again in the fourth.  With one out in the frame, Stanicek singled to right.  Popham reached on an infield single, but the Pointers could not generate a run in the inning.
 
The Eagles tacked on an insurance run in the eighth converting a one-out error into a run on a two-out double.
 
Derek Kawlewski (Stevens Point, Wis./Pacelli) threw a complete game for UWSP.  He struck out five and scattered just four hits. 
 
Game 2 – UWSP 7, UWO 4
The Titans sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the first and pushed across two runs.  UWSP starter Cole Erickson (Deerfield, Wis./Deerfield) limited the damage by escaping a bases-loaded jam.
 
In the second, the Titans added two more runs on a single and a two-out home run.
 
Gerber led off the sixth inning with a single to right.  He stole second to break the single season school record, his 30th stolen base of the year.  William Iloncaie (East Troy, Wis./East Troy) followed with a run-scoring single to center to get UWSP on the board.
 
In the eighth, Gerber again began the inning with a single.  He stole second and back-to-back hit batters loaded the bases.  Stanicek laced a double that one-hopped the right field fence to push home two.  Another hit batter reloaded the bases and back-to-back singles by Rose and Duddleston each plated a run to give the Pointers the lead.  Ben Faga (La Crosse, Wis./Central) continued the rally with a single to center, driving home two more runs.
 
The relief crew of Ben Miller (Union Grove, Wis./Union Grove), Drew Spaeth (Stratford, Wis./Stratford) and Alex Stodola (Coleman, Wis./Coleman) stalled the UWO offense over the final 7.1 innings.  Miller tossed 4.2 scoreless frames with just one hit against and a pair of strikeouts.  Spaeth tossed a hitless 1.2 and Stodola pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save of the season.
 
The Pointers will return to the diamond at 12:00 p.m. Saturday against the loser of the UW-La Crosse versus UW-Whitewater game being played Friday evening.