AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The UW-Stevens Point baseball team (2-1) racked up 30 hits in a doubleheader sweep of Washington and Jefferson (3-6) on Friday in Florida. UWSP recorded 17 hits in a 12-5 win in game one. In game two, the Pointers had another 13 hits in a 13-3 victory.
Sophomore
Aaron Simmons (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) continued his hot hitting to open the season with five hits on the day. He drove in seven runs over the two games and scored five times.
Fellow sophomore
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis./West) also had five hits on the day, including his first home run of the season in game one. He scored four runs and drove in four on the day.
Freshman
Bradley Comer (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) hit his first career home run in game two. He went 4-for-5 in game two with five RBI. He scored three runs on the day.
Senior
Kyle Mrozinski (Ashwaubenon, Wis./Ashwaubenon) collected five hits over the twin bill. He scored twice in each game. Fellow seniors
Will Iloncaie (East Troy, Wis./East Troy) and
Ryan Stanicek (Loves Park, Ill./Boylan Catholic) had three hits each. Iloncaie had three RBI and scored a run. Stanicek scored three times with an RBI.
Game 1 – UWSP 12, W&J 5
UWSP trailed early as W&J hit a solo home run in the top of the first.
Mrozinski led off the bottom of the first with a single. He came around to score on a triple by Simmons, tying the game at 1-1. Nelson put the Pointers in front with an RBI ground out.
In the second, Comer reached on a one-out error.
Nolan Matson (Neillsville, Wis./Neillsville) drew a walk and
Tommy Duddleston (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle Institute) singled with all three runners advancing on another Presidents' error. After a Mrozinski walk loaded the bases, Simmons hit a two-run single to increase the lead to 5-1.
Ahead 5-2 in the fourth, UWSP got to work again. Matson singled, moved to second on a balk and to third on a Duddleston fly out. Another W&J miscue allowed a run to score for a 6-2 lead.
The Presidents scored three times in the fifth on two walks, a hit-by-pitch and two hits to cut the Pointers' lead to 6-5.
UWSP got a run back in the bottom of the fifth. Nelson started the frame with a single and advanced to second on a balk. With one away, he stole third. Iloncaie drove him in with a single, but the Pointers were held to just one run.
Stanicek began the seventh with a single. He scored on a double by Iloncaie. A two-out single by Matson plated Iloncaie to make it 9-5.
In the eighth, Mrozinski doubled to lead off. He moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Simmons single. Nelson followed with a two-run shot to left-center to complete the scoring.
Senior
Alex Stodola (Coleman, Wis./Coleman) went 5.0 in his first start of the year to earn the win. He struck out nine.
Zack Haupt (Carlsbad, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) tossed the final 4.0 with three strikeouts to earn the save.
Game 2 – UWSP 13, W&J 3
The Pointers put up a crooked number in the top of the first. Mrozinski doubled and Simmons tripled to score the first run. Two batters later, Stanicek singled to make it 2-0.
Bradley Hansen (Racine, Wis./Union Grove) was hit by a pitch with two outs and Comer crushed a three-run home run to left-center for a 5-0 lead.
In the third, W&J used four hits to score three times and close to within 5-3.
Comer singled with one away in the top of the fourth.
Weston Nelson (Sheboygan, Wis./North) was hit by a pitch and a two-out single by Mrozinski loaded the bases. Simmons followed with a two-run single.
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis./West) plated another on an infield single. After a Presidents' error allowed another run to score, Iloncaie made it 10-3 with an RBI single.
In the sixth, Simmons reached on an error to start the frame.
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis./West) doubled and Stanicek drew a walk to load the bases. Two batters later, Hansen hit an RBI groundout. Comer followed with a two-run single to make it 13-3.
Senior
Carter Daniels (Montello, Wis./Montello) went 7.0 to earn his first win at UWSP. He struck out two.
Caleb Krommenakker (Rudolph, Wis./Lincoln) tossed the final 2.0 with six punchouts.
The Pointers continue play in Florida on Saturday (March 16) at 8:45 a.m. CT against Illinois Tech.
