WHITEWATER, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point baseball team has been crowned the 2013 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament champion and earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament after defeating UW-La Crosse 6-5 Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles (21-21) beat the Pointers 2-1 earlier in the day to force a winner-take-all contest.

The Pointers (35-9) fended off a late push by the Eagles in the decisive game to win their second WIAC Tournament title in three years and sixth overall.

Box Score

UWSP claimed a 2-0 lead in the third inning when Brandon Kranz (Waukesha, WI/West) hit a one-out single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Clint Rose (Watertown, WI/Watertown) followed by drawing a walk, and Dan Douglas (East Troy, WI/East Troy) singled while a throwing error by the Eagles' third baseman allowed Kranz to score and put Rose and Douglas in scoring position.

Ryan Schilter (West Bend, WI/West) then hit an RBI single to put the Pointers ahead 2-0.

UWSP took a commanding 6-0 lead in the fourth inning. Jimmy Coady (La Crosse, WI/Aquinas) and Bobby Gregorich (Plover, WI/SPASH) both reached on walks and Casey Barnes (Mequon, WI/Homestead) singled to score Coady.

Kranz then stepped to the plate and belted a three-run home run to give UWSP a 6-0 lead.

The Eagles put a run on the board when Brooks Braga led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a solo home run.

Cole Cefalu hit a grand slam in the fifth inning to bring the Eagles to within 6-5, but the UWSP bullpen combined to allow only two hits over five shutout innings to seal the win and the title.

Brad Stroik (Stevens Point, WI/SPASH) earned the win for the Pointers by pitching 2.2 innings out of the bullpen and Tyler Flood (Madison, WI/La Follette) earned the save after throwing 2.1 innings.

The Eagles had runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Flood ended the game with a strikeout.

The NCAA Division III Midwest Regional competition begins Wednesday, May 15. More information to come on Monday.