MAUSTON, Wis. – The No. 25 UW-Stevens Point baseball team (18-7, 10-3) committed six errors and was swept in a league doubleheader on Wednesday by UW-Stout (7-16, 4-8) in Mauston. The Pointers fell in game one, 5-2, and left the tying run stranded at third in a 4-3 game two loss.
Freshman
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis. /West) had a pair of hits and two sacrifice flies to drive in three of UWSP's five runs on the day. He also stole a base and drew a walk on the day.
Fellow freshman
Bradley Hansen (Racine, Wis. /Union Grove) went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored in game two. He had a stolen base as well.
Will Iloncaie had three hits over the twin bill. He scored a run in each game.
Tommy Duddleston (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle Institute) collected three hits and scored a run.
Game 1 – UWSP 2, UW-Stout 5
Kyle Mrozinski (Ashwaubenon, Wis./Ashwaubenon) was drilled with a pitch to begin the game. Duddleston followed with a single up the middle and a flyout by
Ryan Stanicek (Loves Park, Ill./Boylan Catholic) put runners on the corners. Nelson singled to left to put UWSP ahead, 1-0.
The Blue Devils got the run right back in the bottom of the frame on two hits and a UWSP error.
UW-Stout scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth on a walk, a single and another Pointers' miscue. In the seventh, the Blue Devils loaded the bases with no outs and scored twice for a 5-1 lead.
Iloncaie reached on a Stout error to begin the ninth. Two batters later, Duddleston was hit by a pitch. Stanicek drew a walk to load the bases. Nelson lifted a sac fly to left, but the Pointers could not add any more runs.
Starting pitcher
Cole Erickson (Deerfield, Wis./Deerfield) struck out six with just one walk, but suffered his first loss of the season.
Game 2 – UWSP 3, UW-Stout 4
Back-to-back UWSP errors opened the door for a two-run inning in the first by the Blue Devils. The Pointers promptly loaded the bases in the top of the second, but couldn't muster a run.
In the sixth, Hansen reached on a two-out single. Freshman
Aaron Simmons (Franklin, Wis. /Franklin) kept the inning going with a single and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Mrozinski singled to bring in a run, but Simmons was cut down at the plate to end the inning.
Iloncaie doubled to start the eighth inning. He moved to third on a groundout and Hansen drove him in with a single to tie the game at 2-2.
UW-Stout broke the tie in the bottom of the frame on a hit-by-pitch, two single, a walk and a sac fly.
The Pointers weren't done. Duddleston singled to begin the ninth. Stanicek followed with a single and after a steal, both runners were in scoring position. Nelson hit a sac fly to center to plate one. On the next play, Stanicek moved to third, but was stranded there to end the game.
UWSP remains in Mauston for an 11:00 a.m. single game against UW-Oshkosh on Thursday (April 26).