STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point baseball team (9-7, 1-3) held on for a 7-6 win in game two on Sunday to salvage a game in the four-game series with UW-La Crosse (5-7, 3-1). The Pointers fell in game one, 7-5.
Sophomore
Aaron Simmons (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) had five hits on the day, including a home run in each game. He drove in six runs and scored three times.
Bradley Comer (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) and
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis./West) had four hits each over the twin bill. Comer had two RBI in game two and Nelson drove in one in game one.
Will Iloncaie (East Troy, Wis./East Troy) and
Tommy Duddleston (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle Institute) each hit safely in both games. Iloncaie scored a run in each game. Duddleston had an RBI in game one and scored a run in game two.
Game 1 – UWSP 5, UWL 7
UWSP starting pitcher
Tristan Brewer (Grantsburg, Wis./Grantsburg) was a master escape artist, stranding the bases loaded in each of the first three innings with just a single run allowed in the third inning.
The Eagles added a trio of runs in the fifth inning to extend their lead to 4-0. UWL began the inning with two hits and three walks and a pair of wild pitches led to three runs.
Ryan Stanicek (Loves Park, Ill./Boylan Catholic) began the bottom of the fifth with a walk. Iloncaie singled and, two batters later,
Kyle Mrozinski (Ashwaubenon, Wis./Ashwaubenon) reached on a passed ball to load the bases. A wild pitch scored the first run of the frame. Simmons drove in another with a sac fly and Nelson got the Pointers within one with an RBI single.
In the sixth, Stanicek reached on a one-out single. He stole second and moved to third on a groundout. Duddleston singled off the relief pitcher on his first pitch to tie the game at 4-4.
The two teams traded runs in the seventh. UWL scored without the benefit of a hit as a walk, a steal, a fly out and a wild pitch got the runner home. Simmons opened the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run to right on the second pitch to re-tie the game at 5-5.
In the ninth, the Eagles scored twice on three hits to prevail with the 7-5 victory.
Game 2 – UWSP 7, UWL 6
The Pointers took their first lead of the weekend in the first inning. With two away, Nelson doubled and Comer followed with an RBI single to give UWSP a 1-0 lead.
UWL tied the game at 1-1 on two hits and a sac fly in the third.
Duddleston began the bottom of the third with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. Mrozinski was hit by a pitch and Simmons plated both runners with a triple into the right field corner. Two batters later, he scored on an RBI single by Comer for a 4-1 advantage.
The Eagles hit a solo home run in the top of the fourth and Simmons belted a two-run shot in the bottom of the frame for the Pointers.
UWL scored twice in the fifth on three hits. UWSP responded in the bottom of the frame as Iloncaie scored on an RBI single by
Weston Nelson (Sheboygan, Wis./North) for a 7-4 lead.
In the seventh, the Eagles used two hits and two walks to score twice to make it a one-run affair. UWSP reliever
Mack Blashka (Neenah, Wis./St. Mary Catholic) tossed the final 2.2 innings with just one hit allowed to pick up his first career save.
Zack Haupt (Carlsbad, Calif./San Dieguito Academy) started and went 5.0 to earn the win. He struck out six.
Matthew Morgan (Bemidji, Minn./Bemidji) struck out one and Blashka had three strikeouts in relief.
UWSP remains at home for a non-conference doubleheader against St. Scholastica. First pitch on Wednesday (April 3) is set for 1:00 p.m.
