WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. – The No. 7 UW-Stevens Point baseball team (9-5, 2-2) bounced back with a pair of wins over UW-Platteville (5-8, 2-2) on Monday. The Pointers earned a 19-6 run-rule win in game one and a 4-2 victory in the series finale.
The Pointers belted six home runs on day from six different players. In game one, UWSP pounded out 19 hits, a season-high, as each of the nine batters had at least one hit with six recording a multi-hit game.
Anthony Tomczak (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) went 4-for-4 with three RBI and four runs scored in game one. He scored another run in game two.
Brenden Canterbury (Waupaca, Wis./Waupaca) collected five hits on the day, including a mammoth home run in game two. He had four RBI and three runs scored on the day.
Tyler Soule (Oregon, Wis./Oregon) hit his first career home run in game one, one of two hits in the game. He drove in three and scored three times.
Logan Matson (Neillsville, Wis./Neillsville) homered in game one as well, a two-run shot, and he led the way with four RBI.
Jakob Boos (Littleton, Colo./Heritage) belted a three-run home run and scored twice in game one.
Game 1 – UWSP 19, UWP 6 (8 inn.)
UWSP jumped ahead in the first inning.
Payton Nelson (Wausau, Wis./West) drew a one-out walk and was replaced at first by
Kamden Oliver (Viroqua, Wis./Viroqua) on a fielder's choice.
Bradley Comer (Rhinelander, Wis./Rhinelander), Tomzcak,
Trent Van Ess (Two Rivers, Wis./Two Rivers) and Canterbury hit four consecutive two-out singles to give UWSP a 3-0 lead.
After the Pioneers got a run in the second, the Pointers got it right back in the third. Tomczak hit a one-out double and moved to third on an infield single by Canterbury. The run came in on an attempted double steal.
Soule doubled to begin the fourth. Matson then launched a two-run home run to center on the first pitch. Boos followed with a single and two batters later, Oliver hit his second home run in as many days to up the lead to 8-1.
UWP got back into the game briefly in the sixth with four runs on three hits to get within 8-5.
The Pointers immediately responded. Tomczak drew a one-out walk and advanced on a wild pitch. Canterbury tripled to push him home. Soule then followed with a two-run home run for an 11-5 lead.
The Pioneers pushed in a run in the seventh and the Pointers opened the floodgates in the eighth. Nelson doubled with one out. Oliver was hit by a pitch and Comer walked to load the bases. Tomczak plated two with a double. Van Ess walked to reload the bases. Soule drew a two-out walk to push in a run. Matson followed with a single to drive in two more. Then Boos blasted a three-run home run to make it 19-6.
Mason Weckler (Belvidere, Ill./North) earned the win with 5.0 innings in the start. He struck out five.
Mitchell Crawley (Wind Lake, WIs./Muskego) struck out one in 2.0 innings of relief.
Bryce Ehr (Plover, Wis./SPASH) fanned two in an inning of relief.
Game 2 – UWSP 4, UWP 2
The Pointers took the lead in the second inning. Comer singled to lead off the frame. He moved up on a groundout and advanced to third on a two-out single by Canterbury.
Kyle Finger (Clintonville, Wis./Clintonville) hit a single to give UWSP a 1-0 lead.
In the fourth, Canterbury hit a two-out solo home run to up the advantage to 2-0. In the bottom of the inning, the Pioneers tied the game with two runs on three hits.
Comer singled to start the sixth and was replaced by Tomczak on a fielder's choice. Van Ess followed with a two-run home run to left for the 4-2 lead.
JD Schultz (Stevens Point, Wis./SPASH) earned the win with a career-long 8.0 innings in the start. He struck out five without walking a batter.
Sidney Ferry (Paw Paw, Mich./Homeschooled) notched his fourth save of the season with one strikeout in perfect ninth.
The Pointers will host UW-Oshkosh in a non-conference game on Wednesday (March 29) at 1:00 p.m. in Wisconsin Rapids.
