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MOLINE, Ill. – Doug Coe (Appleton/North) (Sr.-Appleton/North) hit a RBI single with the bases loaded as the 20th-ranked UW-Stevens Point baseball team defeated Linfield College 2-1 in 10 innings in the first game of 2008 NCAA Division III Central Regional hosted by Augustana.
It's the second straight year the Pointers have won their regional opener. Stevens Point has a record of 29-14, while Linfield falls to 30-11. The Wildcats will now play Illinois Wesleyan in an elimination game tomorrow at noon. The top seed, Illinois Wesleyan lost to Webster 7-0 in the first game of the regional.
After a relatively quiet start to the game, the Pointer drew first blood in the bottom of the fourth inning when Brad Frank (Slinger/Slinger) (Sr.-Slinger) connected on his 12th home run of the season that just got inside the left field foul pole to make it 1-0. The Wildcats tied the game up in the top of the fifth when after a double, Shannon Chung hit a single to center and the ball was misplayed, which allowed the runner to score and Chung advanced to second.
With the score still 1-1 in the top of the ninth; Linfield loaded the bases with nobody out. The Wildcats hit a fly ball to left and Joel Hojnacki (Plover/SPASH) (Sr.-Plover/SPASH) threw a strike to get the runner at the plate. Jeff Zielke (Watertown/Watertown) (Jr.-Watertown) then got the next batter to fly out to get out of the jam.
After Stevens Point went down in the bottom of the ninth, the game went to extra innings. Linfield threatened again in the top of the 10th as it had a runner at third with one out. The Wildcats tried a suicide squeeze, but the bunt was popped up and the Pointers completed the double play.
In the bottom of the inning, the Pointers got the leadoff hitter on base when Stewart Larsen (Sturgeon Bay/Sturgeon Bay) (Sr.-Sturgeon Bay) reached on an error and then Eric Fritz (Custer/SPASH) (Fr.-Custer/SPASH) was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with no one out. Brad Archambeau (Watertown/Watertown) (So.-Watertown) moved the runners over with a sacrifice.
After an intentional walk loaded the bases with one out, Doug Coe (Appleton/North) stepped to the plate hit a single to score Kyle Cummings (Prentice/Prentice) (Jr.-Prentice) from third as the Pointers prevailed 2-1.
Mike Thrun (Franklin/Franklin) (Sr.-Franklin) had another great performance on the mound as he allowed just one run on just five hits and he had three strikeouts in eight innings of work. Jeff Zielke (Watertown/Watertown) faced tough situations, but came out with the win as he allowed no hits in two innings to get his second victory of the year. Brandon Scheidler (Chippewa Falls/McDonell) (Sr.-Chippewa Falls/McDonell), Doug Coe (Appleton/North), and Brad Frank (Slinger/Slinger) all went 2-for-4 at the plate. Scheidler extended his hitting streak to 20 games.
The Pointers will play at 7 p.m. tomorrow against the winner of the Wartburg vs. Augustana contest later tonight.
