STEVENS POINT, Wis. – The No. 16 UW-Stevens Point baseball team (24-4, 15-3) was unfazed by a couple early-game deficits while completing the series sweep over visiting UW-Eau Claire (7-21, 2-16) on Sunday. UWSP took the opener 14-5 with a pair of big innings late before again rallying from behind for an 11-5 win in game two.
Jakob Boos (Littleton, Colo./Heritage) put an exclamation mark on the game two rally with a grand slam for his first career home run. It was one of his four hits on the day and he drove in six runs over the twin bill.
Lucas Luedtke (River Falls, Wis./River Falls),
Aaron Simmons (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) and
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis./West) also hit home runs on the day with the trio combining for nine RBI over the two games.
In game one, UWSP racked up a season-high 20 hits and each of the top-7 hitters in the lineup had a multi-hit outing.
Game 1 – UWSP 14, UWEC 5
The Pointers began digging out of a 3-0 hole in the second inning.
Logan Matson (Neillsville, Wis./Neillsville) drew a two-out walk. He moved to third on a errant pick-off attempt and scored on another throwing error on the play.
Nelson singled to begin the third and
Bradley Comer (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) followed with a base knock. Both moved up on a passed ball with Nelson scoring from second on the play.
Anthony Tomczak (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) hit an RBI single as UWSP got within 4-3.
After UWEC added a run in the fourth,
Matt Baumann (New Berlin, Wis./Eisenhower) drew a walk to start the sixth. Simmons followed with a two-run home run to tie the game at 5-5. Four-straight UWSP singles plated two more runs with Luedtke and
Quin Henwood (Appleton, Wis./North) driving in a run each. Matson added a sac fly and UWSP held an 8-5 lead.
Tomczak drew a leadoff walk in the eighth. Luedtke doubled and Tomczak scored on an errant throw on the play. Boos, Baumann, Simmons and Nelson all had RBI in the inning with Nelson capping the rally with a solo home run.
Nick Paulsen (Balsam Lake, Wis./Unity) and
Marcus Jaworski (Iola, Wis./Iola-Scandinavia) threw 3.0 innings each out of the gate with two strikeouts each.
Austin Syvertson (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) tossed 2.0 with three strikeouts and
Mitchell Crawley (Wind Lake, WIs./Muskego) pitched a hitless ninth fanning one.
Game 2 – UWSP 11, UWEC 5
Baumann and Luedtke each hit a double in the first to give UWSP a brief 1-0 lead. The Blugolds put up two runs in the second and another in the third to put the Pointers behind, 3-1.
Nelson and Boos hit singles in the third as UWSP got a run back. The deficit grew to three and UWEC put up two runs on three hits in the fifth.
The tide shifted in UWSP's favor in the seventh. Baumann singled, Nelson drew a walk and Comer singled to plate one. Luedtke followed with a three-run home run as UWSP went ahead, 6-5. Matson drove in another run in the frame on a single.
In the eighth, the Pointers loaded the bases with one out. Boos then launched a grand slam to the opposite field for an 11-5 lead.
Tyler Beyer (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./Lincoln) picked up the win with 3.0 scoreless frames. He struck out two.
The Pointers travel to Whitewater on Tuesday (April 26) for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader to complete the season series with the Warhawks.
