WHITEWATER, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point baseball team (0-2) dropped both halves of a non-conference doubleheader at UW-Whitewater (2-0) to open the 2021 season.  UWSP fell in game one, 9-4, and nearly came from behind in a 6-4 defeat in game two.
 
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis./West) had four hits on the day, including a double, and scored a run. He also drew a pair of walks.  Connor Flanagan (Rolesville, N.C.) recorded a pair of hits, including the first home run of the season.
 
Lucas Luedtke (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) and Aaron Simmons (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) each had two hits on the day.  Kyle Finger (Clintonville, Wis./Clintonville) drove in two runs.
 
Game 1 – UWSP 4, UWW 9
The Pointers fell behind early as the Warhawks posted six runs on four hits and a pair of walks in the bottom of the first. UWW tacked on a run in the third to put UWSP behind 7-0.
 
Nelson singled with one away in the fifth.  Simmons followed with a single up the middle and UWSP plated the first run on a UWW error.  With two away, Finger hit a double to center to score two more.
 
The Warhawks got a run back in the sixth and scored another in the seventh for a 9-3 lead.
 
Consecutive one-out singles in the ninth by Luedtke, Nelson and Simmons loaded the bases.  Bradley comer hit a sac fly to left, but UWSP would be limited to one run in the frame.
 
Austin Syvertson (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) struck out three in 3.1 innings in relief.  Tyler Beyer (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Lincoln) tossed 2.0 with a pair of strikeouts.
 
Game 2 – UWSP 4, UWW 6
Quin Henwood (Appleton, Wis./North) drew a leadoff walk in the second inning.  With two outs in the inning, Flanagan gave UWSP the first lead of the year with a two-run home run to left.
 
The Warhawks tied the game in the fourth with two runs on just one hit.  UWW took the lead in the fifth with one run on two hits.  In the sixth, the Warhawks added two runs and scored once more in the eighth.
 
In the ninth, the Pointers mounted a rally.  Finger reached on an error to begin the frame.  Two batters later, Brenden Canterbury (Waupaca, Wis./Waupaca) ripped a double to left-center to score Finger.  With two down, Luedtke singled and Nelson drew a walk to load the bases.  Simmons reached on an error as another run scored, but the Pointers left the bases loaded to end the game.
 
Casey Pickering (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) tossed 5.0 in his first career start.  He struck out three.  Nick Carpenter (Lake Mills, Wis./Lake Mills) and Sidney Ferry (Paw Paw, Mich./Homeschooled) each had a strikeout in relief.
 
The Pointers open the home slate on Tuesday (March 23) with a non-conference doubleheader against Finlandia.  First pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.