WHITEWATER, Wis. – It was yet another comeback win for the No. 12 UW-Stevens Point baseball team (39-8) and it was
Kyle Finger's (Clintonville, Wis./Clintonville) walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth that lifted the Pointers to a 10-9 win over No. 9 UW-Whitewater (36-10) in game one of the NCAA Super Regional Round.
Finger, who entered in the ninth, got the walk-off hit as redemption after a costly miscue in the top of the ninth that allowed the Warhawks to tie the game.
Jakob Boos (Littleton, Colo./Heritage) led the UWSP offense with a 4-for-4 day as a pair of RBI. UWSP's starting catcher
Anthony Tomczak (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) had two hits as did first baseman
Quin Henwood (Appleton, Wis./North). Both scored twice with Henwood also driving in one.
Logan Matson (Neillsville, Wis./Neillsville) added two RBI from the nine-hole in the lineup. UWSP's top three hitters
Matt Baumann (New Berlin, Wis./Eisenhower),
Aaron Simmons (Franklin, Wis./Franklin) and
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis./West) all had an RBI each.
The Pointers fell behind in the first inning. The Warhawks put up two runs on four hits, but UWSP starter
Casey Pickering (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) stranded two aboard to limit the damage. In the second, UWW loaded the bases with no one out, Pickering pitched around the threat without another run coming home.
That sparked the UWSP offense to a big inning. In the bottom of the second,
Bradley Comer (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander) drew a leadoff walk. Tomczak replaced him at first on a fielder's choice. A UWW error put runners on the corners for the bottom of the order. Henwood got the Pointers on the board with an RBI single. Boos tied the game with a run-scoring single. Matson followed and put UWSP ahead with a two-run double and a 4-2 lead.
Tomczak singled to start a two-out rally in the third.
Lucas Luedtke (River Falls, Wis./River Falls) singled and a throwing error by UWW plated a run. Boos singled again to push home another run as a 6-2 advantage.
Henwood and Boos hit back-to-back singles to start the sixth. Matson moved both into scoring position on a sac bunt. Baumann plated the first run on a single. Simmons pushed home another on a fielder's choice. After stealing second, Simmons scored on a single by Nelson for a 9-2 lead.
UWW chipped away with two in the seventh. In the eighth, the Warhawks put up two more, both unearned. In the ninth, UWW tied the game with three unearned tallies.
Comer drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the ninth setting the stage for Finger. He laced the first pitch down the right field line and Comer rumbled home with the winning, walk-off run.
Pickering settled in after a tumultuous first two frames. He went 7.0 with three strikeouts.
Sidney Ferry (Paw Paw, Mich./Homeschooled) went 1.2 with a pair of strikeouts. All runs he allowed were unearned.
Austin Syvertson (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) faced one batter and earned the win.
UWSP and UWW will play game 2 of the Super Regional Round at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday (May 28). The Pointers need one win on Saturday to advance to the first College World Series since 2013 and sixth in program history.
